Early voting for 2018 election begins today in Nevada
It’s that time again: Early voting begins Saturday in Nevada.
Nevada’s electorate will choose a governor and weigh in on races that could determine control of Congress, and if voters turn out in a traditional manner, about half of the ballots cast will be done before Election Day.
That was the case in the June 12 primary election and the 2014 general election, when 48 percent of the votes came during early voting. The process allows voters to cast a ballot through Nov. 2 at any site throughout the county in which they are registered.
“Early voting is really popular, especially in Clark County,” said Jennifer Russell, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office. “People like it because it is convenient and people can go on their own schedules — often avoiding lines. Voters should bring their sample ballots with them and it will go even faster.”
There are 96 early-voting sites in Clark County, including locations in the Boulevard Mall, Galleria at Sunset and Meadows Mall, as well as numerous shopping centers. The hours vary by location.
Go to www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/Vote for information about voting centers and times. The first and last days of early voting are usually the busiest, Russell said.
The Secretary of State’s Office reported a record-breaking 1.5 million active registered voters as of Oct. 1, the highest number in state history. The number of active registered voters surged by 25,000 in September.
The parties have especially targeted minority voters, who could be key in several close races.
The Voter Participation Center estimated in June that 32 percent of eligible Latinos and 27 percent of African-Americans are not registered to vote. It mailed out more than 75,000 voter registration forms.
On Saturday, a group of Nevada organizations will host a fiesta from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the East Las Vegas Community Center to encourage Latinos to turn out on the first day of early voting.
“The early-vote period is the beginning of the home stretch to Election Day,” said Erika Castro, a PLAN Action organizer.
Election Day is Nov. 6.
Contact Ramona Giwargis at rgiwargis@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4538. Follow @RamonaGiwargis on Twitter.
Early voting sites and schedule by Las Vegas Review-Journal on Scribd
