700 vote in capital's first two days of early voting

As they have in recent elections, more than half of Carson City voters are expected to vote early.

After two days of early voting in this year's primary, Carson City Clerk- Recorder Alan Glover said the 700 votes cast is better than he expected and compares well with the 641 votes cast in the first two days of the last presidential election in 2004.

The 2006 elections, he said, drew a larger turnout because of the large number of state offices on the ballot. All of Nevada's constitutional officers from the governor on down were elected in 2006 and 754 voters cast ballots in the first two days of that election cycle.

Glover said traffic at the clerk's office at Roop and Musser was steady but not really heavy Saturday and Monday.

"I don't think there was a line of more than six or eight people," he said.

And, as in past years, many of those voting early were seniors hoping to avoid the lines during the Aug. 12 primary.

Glover said for the past couple of election cycles, more than half of Carson City voters have voted early. When absentee voters and those who vote on election day are added in, he said the total turnout is between 80 and 90 percent of those registered.

He said he expects a strong turnout for the general election in November because voters will be choosing the next president.

"I think we're going to hit 90 percent," he said. "We've been at 87 or 88 percent all these years."

Carson City normally has the third highest turnout of any Nevada county after Eureka and Douglas.

The clerk's office will be open for early voting 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. all week as well as next week, and on Saturday, Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.