Early voting for the primary is underway in Clark County, but it's not the turnout they were expecting. A little more than 5,500 voters cast their ballots over the weekend. Ballots that included names of candidates no longer able to run because of Friday's ruling on term limits.
The problem is that Supreme Court ruling came too late to actually change the primary ballots. So it is up to voters to figure out who is in -- and who is out -- before they cast their vote.
At the West Flamingo Senior Center -- for a time Margie Riitano was the only voter at the polls. Riitano says the last-minute Supreme Court ruling declaring four long-time local officeholders ineligible to run did have an impact.
"There was a few I was sorry to see go," said Riitano. But she says she still approaches elections the same as always.
"Well you have to vote -- you should want to vote and it is a matter reading a little bit about them -- getting on the Internet and reading what they have to say about things," she said.
With just over 5,500 Clark County voters going to the polls over the weekend. Registrar Larry Lomax says the numbers are well off the pace of the presidential election cycle four years ago.
"Turnout has been very light -- I don't personally attribute it to the Supreme Court decision. I attribute it more to the public not seeing certain contests as a significant in their lives as perhaps other ones are," said Lomax.
To help voters, signs are visibly posted at all 22 early voting sites. They explain that County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, University Regent Thalia Dondero, and Clark County School Board trustees Mary Beth Scow and Ruth Johnson are ineligible to run based on term limits.
"No I didn't see a sign," said Lucille Dignum. But she feels the term limits challenge should have come long ago.
She feels it isn't fair to voters. "Well, they haven't had a chance to choose someone else or look at the candidates and I have not had time."
So what about campaign funds already raised by the ineligible candidates? The Nevada Secretary of State says it is seeking guidance from the attorney general as to what the options are under these unusual circumstances.
Normally, a candidate who is not elected to office must either return unspent money to contributors or give it to other political candidates, a political party or charity.
The biggest fundraiser at this point is Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, who at last report had more than $600,000 in bank.
Email your comments to Reporter Mark Sayre.
"No I didn't see a sign," said Lucille Dignum.
