Henderson, NV- There is an old adage in politics that goes like this, “Vote Early, Vote Often.” While the second part is illegal, the first part is legal and can be done in eight states, including California and Nevada. October 18 was the first day of Early Voting in Nevada and as part of the Nevada for Change Election Protection team, which consisted of lawyers and law students in a volunteer capacity; I was assigned to monitor an early poll location in Henderson, NV. Upon my arrival to the polling location, I introduced myself to the staff from the Clark County Elections Department and signed an affidavit stating that I would not interfere with voters, I would not communicate in any way with voters, and that if there is a dispute the final decision of the polling staff will prevail. I was then given a bright pink neon “Observer” sticker that I was required to wear according to the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS). While the polls were scheduled to open at 8:00am, a large number of voters where patiently waiting and the election staff decided to open the polls early.
A steady stream of persons came through the polling station throughout the day. Some who stopped at the Albertson’s to get their shopping done for the week saw the polling station and decided to knock off one more chore by voting at the same time. From checking in to voting, most voters took no more than seven minutes. It did appear at times that there was some confusion over whether a voter needed to present a photo ID in order to vote, but the only voters who needed to show ID were first time voters. In most cases the Voter’s ID was confirmed by matching the voter’s signature with the official registrar rolls. The Help America Vote Act requires states to confirm the identity of first time voters by presenting some form of photo ID. The photo ID does not have to be government issued however.
The stream of voters filing through the polling station was busiest from opening until about 2:00PM. At one point, I spoke briefly with the Registrar of Voters for Clark County, Larry Lomax, about the Nevada Early Voting program and its popularity. He pointed out that compared with the Early Vote turnout from 2004, the Clark County Election department estimated that by the end of the day on Saturday nearly one percent of all eligible voters will have cast a ballot, a new record for Early Vote turnout.
As for the fear that registered voters would be turned away from the polls due to the ACORN issue, only one voter was informed that she was not listed on the registration roll. The voter however was still able to cast her ballot by using a provisional ballot, which is counted only after the voter’s registration is confirmed at the Registrar’s office. What was ironic was that the voter publicly exclaimed they were Republican.
The NRS also prohibits “electioneering activity” within 150 feet of a polling station. This usually includes, advocating for or against a candidate or ballot proposition, communicating with a voter about how the voter voted or intends to vote, and among others, the wearing of campaign paraphernalia such as buttons or T-shirts. Nevada law allows that if an item of clothing cannot be easily removed or covered, the voter is still allowed to vote but the poll workers must expedite the voter through the voting process. Throughout my shift, I observed a number of voters wearing Obama for President t-shirts and not one was turned away.
By 6:00PM, my shift came to a close. By the end of the day, approximately 1,880 voters voted at a single precinct location, an astonishing number to say the least. The Elections Staff was professional and courteous to each voter and democracy ran like clockwork. By the end of the first weekend, Democrats were outvoting Republicans in Early Voting by nearly 3 to 1. While it was a long day and difficult to stay focused for a ten-hour shift, I will not have to be returning to Nevada in order to be a witness in a trial to decide the Presidency.
What does this have to do with Orange County? You ask. Well in a word, Everything! Voting is easy, it can be done via mail, at the polling station, before Election Day or on Election Day. The most time consuming part is learning about the issues in order to make an informed decision, but once you are at the polls, the process of voting will on average take less than 10 minutes and you will have exercised your voice in the political process. The OC is fortunate to have a number of early voting locations throughout the county. Polling locations and hours can be found at the Registrar of Voters OC Registrar of Voters.
No Excuses! VOTE!
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