Blacks cite shortage of early voting locations

Kirsten Searer

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004 | 11:06 a.m.

Leaders from 10 black organizations complained Monday that there aren't enough early voting sites in a neighborhood with a significant black population and many people who need help getting to the polls.

Just one location -- the Doolittle Community Center -- will be open in the West Las Vegas neighborhood during early voting, and that's just for two days. It is set to open today and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The leaders pleaded with local blacks to get to the polls, saying there are plenty of groups that will give them a ride or help with their sample ballots.

Rev. Robert Fowler Sr., who is president of the Caucus of African American Nevadans, said the black community can gain more opportunity and exposure through voting.

But he said he wishes the Clark County Elections Department would be more sensitive to people who work multiple jobs, are disabled or rely on public transit, making it difficult to get to the nearest permanent early voting sites.

People must focus on voting today and Wednesday when it's convenient at the Dolittle center, he said.

"I trust that our community will hear our cry and hear our plea," he said.

Clark County Registrar Larry Lomax said the county always has had a temporary early voting site in the neighborhood, previously at a Vons supermarket that is now closed.

The polling site originally was set to be held at the Wendell P. Williams Elementary School, but elections officials decided against that because Williams was on the ballot in a primary Assembly election.

Lomax moved it to Fowler's Victory Missionary Baptist Church but said he received complaints that the Caucus of African American Nevadans meets at the church and some viewed it as a partisan area.

"We received a flood of complaints," Lomax said.

So Lomax moved the site to Doolittle, which is just a few blocks away from the church.

He said there are just 1,000 registered voters in the area and he doesn't have enough resources to put an early voting site there for the full two weeks of early voting.

"Everybody wants more polling places in their polling area," Lomax said. "The people in Boulder City want us to be there more than two days, the people in Mesquite want us to be there more than one day."

W. Dean Ishman, president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he hopes the election department will consider making Doolittle a permanent early voting site in the future.

"This is going to ensure that more African-Americans will turn out to vote," he said.

Regardless of the flap, the black leaders said Monday their community can make a change by voting.

"There's no excuses to stay home this year," said Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson, D-North Las Vegas.

Voices for Working Families, a voter advocacy group, is offering to give any voter a ride to the polls. For more information, call 798-4163.

The NAACP also is giving residents rides to the polls during early voting and on election day. For more information, call 638-1300.