Every vote counts

Monday, Nov. 6, 2006 | 7:35 a.m.

Complain about Congress, complain about the Clark County Commission, complain about the war in Iraq. That's fine - as long as you vote on Tuesday.

Every election is important but Tuesday's has an added heft, given the number of offices on the ballot and the political swirl around the president's policies and the very real possibility that Democrats could gain control of Congress.

In Nevada every state constitutional office, from governor to controller, is on the ballot. Also for voters to consider are the state's three congressional seats, a U.S. Senate seat and 27 contested legislative seats in Clark County. Plus there are 10 initiatives on the ballot, which include measures to raise the minimum wage, change smoking laws and make marijuana legal.

Then there are the races for the state Supreme Court, sheriff, the Clark County Commission, the School Board and the university system's Board of Regents.

The winners of Tuesday's election will have a chance to shape the future of Nevada and the country. In 2002, the last midterm election, 58.9 percent of Nevada's registered voters cast a ballot. Clark County's total was even lower: 57.2 percent. That, though, at least beats 1998 when 49 percent of the registered voters statewide turned out. Clark County saw a dismal 45.7 percent.

Your vote has power. President Bush carried Nevada in 2004 with a slim victory of 2.6 percentage points, or 21,597 votes of 829,587 cast. In 1998 Sen. Harry Reid survived a challenge from John Ensign by just 428 votes out of 435,790. You can make a difference, so please make the time to vote Tuesday.