8 Things You Need to Know to Vote in Nevada in 2008

Whatever your political beliefs, I would like to see you at the polls next November (and August, for the primary)! According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Nevada increased 20 percent between 2000 and 2006, or more than half a million people. If you're reading this, I'm assuming you recently moved to Nevada and there are several things you need to know about registering to vote in your new home state. Each state has its own rules, so most likely you'll be doing something differently than before. When I was a voter registrar during the 2004 election season, I was trained to watch for these common eight voter registration mistakes. So read up, and make sure your vote will count in 2008!

1.You must register to vote - and you must do so in advance. In some states, perhaps the one you moved from when you came to Nevada, you can register the day of the election. Not so in Nevada. In Nevada you have to be pre-registered. Then, on Election Day, all you need to bring is a valid photo I.D. (Nevada Driver's License or I.D., or passport) and your name will be on the list. You can register to vote at the Clark County Election Office, the DMV or your city clerk's office, located in your town's city hall. If you want to participate in the 2008 Primary Election - the one that decides which candidates will represent which party, among other things - you'll want to have registered before July 22, if you register by mail, or July 22 if you register in person. If you're only worried about the General Election - the one that decides from the remaining two or three candidates the next President of the United States, among other things - if you register by mail by October 4, or in person by October 14, you're in the clear, according to the Clark County Election Department's Web site.

2. The physical address you input should be your home address. Your P.O. Box or business address will not be processed. It's important to have your physical address because this determines not only your polling place in elections, but also which precincts and districts you'll vote for. For instance, when the county commissioners have an election, if you're registered at your mom's house across town from where you live, you'll vote for the politicians who represent your mom's neighborhood, not your own. Also, if you do vote on Election Day (which we'll get to in a moment), do you really want to drive across town to have your voice heard when you could do it at your neighborhood location?

3. Putting your telephone number is OPTIONAL. Remember, voter registration information is public information. Campaigns use them to pull up telephone numbers for phone banking, and it's possible that telemarketers could use them too. To avoid this annoyance, simply leave this space blank. However, please note that the telephone number is one of the only optional spaces on the voter registration form. An incomplete form means you will not be registered to vote, so be thorough!

4. If you choose a party, then during the Primary Election you can only vote for that particular party's candidates. Again, in some states you can vote for whomever regardless of your party; this is called an open primary. But in Nevada, you have to vote along party lines; this is called a closed primary. You can still vote for anyone you want on any nonpartisan offices up for election on the primary ticket. The General Election is an open election.

5. Registering as an "Independent" means you are registering with the Independent American Party, NOT as nonpartisan. If you intend to be a member of this third party, fine. But if you want to remain impartial of any party, choose nonpartisan at the bottom.

6. You can register to vote online, by mail, at the Clark County Election Office, at the DMV or various other places. If you register to vote with someone holding a clipboard at UNLV, CCSN or the library or wherever, make sure the person is with an established, preferably nonpartisan, voter organization. For extra insurance, you might want to see if the canvasser is an official registrar with the county. Anyone can collect and mail in a filled out form to register people; becoming a registrar is not necessary to do this. However, registrars have gone through a particular course at the election office and can sign to verify your registration immediately. It also gives them that extra 'oomph' of officiality that could put your mind at ease when you fill out that form full of private information and hand it over to them.

7. You can vote early, avoiding the lines and the inconvenience of voting at a particular polling place on Election Day. Enough said, right? Usually, early voting polling places are located at the major malls, city halls and the election department office, and other polling places will include libraries and community centers. For the 2008 Election, early voting for the 2008 Primary will be from July 26 to August 8, and early voting for the 2008 General Election will be from October 18 to 31.

8. Keep your voter registration receipt! This receipt is a long, thin strip that is torn off the bottom of the voter registration form. On it is the registration number that corresponds to the one on your voter registration form; having it will help the election department look you up. If your form is incomplete (which, after reading this, it shouldn't be!), it will not be processed and you will not be registered. Of course, there are other things that could happen - things get misplaced and so on. In light of the fact that you must be registered in advance, if you don't receive a postcard confirming your registration in the mail a week or so before registration closes, call your county's election department, and have that receipt handy!

Primary Election Day is August 12, 2008 and General Election Day is November 4, 2008. For more information, visit the Clark County Election Department Web site.