Heller supports voter registration on same day election is held

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Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2004 | 10:09 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- Secretary of State Dean Heller says allowing Nevadans to register and to vote on election day would cure many of the complaints lodged during the political campaign this year about registration of voters.

Heller, chief election officer for the state, also wants to move the primary election from September to either July or August, giving election officials more time to prepare and more time for challenges to be considered.

But Heller -- whose comments came after the Nevada Supreme Court made the Nov. 2 vote official -- doesn't think the 2005 Legislature will buy the suggested changes. The lawmakers have been opposed in the past and he said it will be an uphill battle next session.

Allowing a person to register and vote on the same day could eliminate many of the abuses alleged to have occurred in the most recent election, including the destruction of registration forms by volunteers working for one political party to sign up voters.

"Same-day registration takes away the incentive to destroy the voter registration forms," he said.

Additionally, in other states, same-day voter registration increases voter turnout by 10-15 percent he said.