Hello again, Kossacks. You may remember me as the Peabody Award winning* diarist responsible for the Deep Inside Nevada's Early Voting Numbers series.
Those of you who read those diaries may remember that I'm from Oakland, California, but spent two weeks in October with my wife and sister-in-law in Las Vegas volunteering for now President-Elect Obama. Beyond the fun we had and excitement we felt volunteering, something else even more profound stood out to us while we were there: Clark County, Nevada's early voting system is unequaled and worthy of imitation.
As I promised in that final DINEVN diary, I'm working to raise awareness of Clark County's model, and beginning the fight to take it national.
Step one: Election Day(s) at electiondays.blogspot.com.
Step two: An online petion, along with information on how to more effectively reach our elected representatives.
So, how does early voting work in Clark County?
- Polls are open every day for 14 straight days.
- Early voting hours vary from location to location and day-to-day, but in general, polls open at or before 9 am and stay open until 6 pm (but often 8 or 9 pm).
- In 2008, there were 9 "static" polling locations (at malls, big fitness centers, etc.) where polls were open in the same place each day.
- Additionally, there were 9 "mobile teams" and 4 "voting trailers" that moved around the county from grocery stores to libraries to the UNLV campus to senior centers for a day or two at a time based on a pre-planned schedule that was released to the public months in advance.
- Any Clark County resident can vote at any polling location.
What were the results of early voting in Clark County?
- More than half of Clark County's registered voters voted during early voting.
- Because of the length of time early voting polls are open and the number of locations, there were very rarely long lines or waits anywhere in the county.
- For those who decided for one reason or another to save their vote for election day, early voting helped ensure short lines and happy voters at precincts county-wide.
- For the second presidential election in a row, registered voter turnout in Clark County was nearly 80%.
For quick comparison, here's what "early voting" looks like in Alameda County, California where I live:
- There is one early voting location: the Registrar of Voters Office in downtown Oakland.
- The polling place is open for a few days prior to the election, but only until 5 pm.
- Alameda County is home to Oakland and Berkeley, and is considered a hotbed of political interest and activism. Turnout for the 2008 presidential election was less than 60%*.
I hope you'll join me in taking Clark County's extraordinary early voting model national. Sign the petition. Check out the blog. Bring your ideas for what else we can and should be doing.
* I claim to have won and have actually won the same number of Peabody Awards as Bill O'Reilly.