Clark County voters braved wet, windy weather to make their voices heard
For 12 crucial hours on Tuesday, Nevada voters endured heavy winds, cold rain and even snow in the northern part of the state to cast their ballots in a critical midterm election that featured a contest for the state’s next governor and a pivotal U.S. Senate race that the rest of the country was also watching.
In the Las Vegas Valley, Clark County’s 125 voting centers were open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday, with observers saying there weren’t major issues that they knew of. But they also cautioned that the election wouldn’t be over until every vote is counted.
Though polls closed at 7 p.m., anyone in line at that time was still allowed to vote, and as long as people were in line, election officials could not release any voting results.
As the polls closed at the Hollywood Recreation Center on the far edge of eastern Las Vegas, workers shouted, “Last call for voting!” as some last-minute voters ran against a blustery wind and through the doors to beat the deadline.
Rogelio Saldivar, 20, who was voting in his second election, was eating elote, or Mexican street corn on the cob — one of about 90 that were given out throughout the day to voters after they cast their ballots.
“Everything looks like it is going smoothly,” said Saldivar, who was encouraged by the turnout, a sentiment expressed by many voters Tuesday who said the turnout seemed big for a midterm election. “There’s a line, that’s good to see, but it looks like the line is moving.”
Fighting rain
Earlier in the day, in a Home Depot parking lot on West Tropical Parkway in northwest Las Vegas, voters lined up in the driving rain to cast their votes in a white tent adorned with a huge American flag. The wait was about 40 minutes, said Makayla Bowers, 18, who was voting in her first election.
“I lean more Republican. I didn’t vote for Sisolak. I did vote for Laxalt,” Bowers said, referring to incumbent Democratic Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, who is battling Republican challenger Joe Lombardo, and Adam Laxalt, who is trying to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.
For her parents, who were also voting, it was a special family moment to see their daughter cast her first ballot, said Jeff Bowers, 53.
A few feet away in the parking lot, a Ford F-150 pickup belonging to voter Todd Frantzich, 58, was decked out with some pro-Donald Trump, anti-Joe Biden flags.
“That’s their freedom of speech,” Jeff Bowers said. “More power to them.”
For his part, Frantzich said his flag, with his expletive-laden anti-Biden statement, gets enthusiastic thumbs ups and honks from other drivers. And while some of the Republican-leaning voters found his flags to be funny, other Democratic-leaning voters sighed at the display.
Brittany Johnson, 32, was working at the Tropical Parkway voting tent as an exit pollster. By about noon, she said, she had interviewed about 50 people. She had seen more Republican voters than Democrat, but more people seemed to be voting for Sisolak, she said.
No problems casting ballots
In the race between Cortez Masto and Laxalt, she said, she gleaned from her polling that more people had been voting for Laxalt. And despite the weather, the large turnout was encouraging to see, Johnson said.
“There were a lot of people out here,” Johnson said. “I got here at 6:45 a.m.”
The voters at the northwest Las Vegas vote center, whether Republican or Democrat, all said they had no problems with casting their ballots, and everything seemed to be running smoothly.
Steven Horsford, the Democratic U.S. congressman for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, stopped by the polling place to see how things were going.
“I’m glad to see so many people turning out,” Horsford said. “Obviously the weather, raining, people standing outdoors — it’s my preference that that not be the case, but you know, this is a very important, consequential election and people are doing everything they can to have their voice counted.”
Horsford said he saw a few things that concerned him when he visited voting centers at the Doolittle Community Center on J Street and the Pearson Community Center on West Carey Avenue in North Las Vegas.
“I’ve seen a few concerning practices that are not normal where people are posted up or parked in areas where they want to create intimidation or just show people their presence,” Horsford said. “I just want people to have a free and fair election, and for no one to feel intimidated.”
At the Pearson Community Center in North Las Vegas things seemed to be running smoothly at about 5 p.m. under some ominously dark rain clouds. There was even free food for voters, as Dane Newton Jr., 39, of North Las Vegas, was dishing out complimentary fare from his family’s food truck, It’s Lit BBQ Place, outside the community center.
“Just to support voting, period,” Newton said. “This is what America’s about.”
Newton, who voted at the community center, said he had no concerns about how his voting experience played out.
At the Mirabelli Community Center at 6200 Hargrove Ave., near U.S. Highway 95 and Jones Boulevard, voter Rudy Coby, 58, was channeling a totally different vibe with his black “Make America Goth Again” hat, a reference to the darkly punk-inspired music of the 1980s but also a tongue-in-cheek skewering of former President Donald Trump’s red “Make America Great Again” hats.
Reposting this because I don’t think people are appreciating it enough #MAGothA #ElectionDay2022 pic.twitter.com/P4d2fvcWLC
— Brett Clarkson (@BrettClarkson_) November 8, 2022
Coby, who said his voting experience went off without a hitch, wasn’t voting Republican.
“I voted straight Democratic. I’m voting for every woman who’s a friend of mine right now,” Coby said. “I think it seems like rights are being taken away from women, and I want to support them.”
At Mountain Shadows Community Center in Summerlin, the wait to vote was about 45 minutes on Tuesday afternoon as officials said several voting machines were down. More machines were put in to help move the line.
Despite that, West Juhl, spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, which was monitoring the polls, said voting went “smoothly overall.” But Juhl also said the ACLU will “aggressively defend our democracy” to make sure every vote is fairly counted across Nevada in the coming days.
Meanwhile, about 100 people were waiting in line in the afternoon at Boulevard Mall.
‘It’s important to vote’
On the other side of the Las Vegas Valley, outside Henderson’s Galloway Elementary School, a dozen voters stood in line minutes before the polls opened, eager to cast their ballot while the line was short.
“I feel the most change you have in voting is starting where you live,” said Mallory Titterington, 32.
The school, which is located on Skyline Road, held a staff development day Tuesday, opening the student drop-off area for voters to park.
Steve Nieto, 53, chose to vote on Election Day to support his 22-year-old daughter, who also was voting.
“I don’t like the direction we’re going in as a country, so it’s important to vote,” Nieto said.
Nieto said he would like to see local politicians combat rising inflation and place more attention on homelessness. Nieto was briefly homeless after serving in the Army during both Gulf Wars.
Chuck Childs, 73, said he has not missed an election since he turned 18.
“I would like to see the economy turned around,” the lifelong Henderson resident said Tuesday morning.
Rodney Gardner, 77, and his wife, Theresa Gardner, 73, said they considered it their duty to protect the Constitution from politicians they felt may try to change it.
“The Constitution says the people have the power over the government and the government lies with the people,” Rodney Gardner said. “The state gives power to the federal government, and I believe our current administration has that upside down.”
Rodney Gardner served in the Navy, fighting in Vietnam from 1967 to 1970, before working in Utah and Wisconsin schools. His wife, Theresa Gardner, spent 20 years working in city, state and county government, most recently as a deputy treasurer in Tooele County, Utah, before retiring.
“We’re patriots,” Theresa Gardner said. “My ancestors served under Washington, and I’m here to save the Constitution. Everyone has a vote and they should use it.”
Luis Planas, 78, dropped off his mail-in ballot at Doolittle Community Center in the Historic Westside and was back in his car within two minutes of arriving at the community center.
“I voted Democrat all the way down the ballot,” he said proudly. “I think the country needs my support, my vote.”
Raynell Childs said her mother, who died last year, emphasized to her the importance of educated voting.
“Overall, it’s important that our voice is heard,” the 36-year-old Childs said. “There’s so much going on and they’re trying to take away our rights.”
Childs said she worried about women’s rights, including abortion protections, being taken away.
“I brought my kids with me,” she said, gesturing to her car. “I wanted to make sure that they understand how important voting is.”
Snow in Washoe
In Washoe County in Northern Nevada, voters were faced with a near constant snowfall throughout Election Day.
Voters casting ballots at the University of Nevada, Reno had a wait time of over an hour and half at 2 p.m.
Carlena Poma, 21, said she had made a special trip to campus to vote.
“I don’t want to lose my rights as a woman. So I want to vote for people who aren’t going to make it so I can’t get an abortion,” she said.
A current student at the university, Poma said abortion was one of the biggest issues motivating her to vote.
UNR student Brooke Balsi, 22, said abortion was one of the main issues driving her to the polls too.
“I would say gun laws are a big deal. And then abortion laws and all that. So those are my main things,” said Balsi, who was at the university’s polling center between classes.
At the Downtown Reno Library, the line nearly extended out the front doors and into the snow.
Emily Rhodenbaugh, the polling place’s assistant manager, said operations had been “running really smoothly.”
“What I’m hearing from the manager for this location, this is her third general election and she said this is really the busiest we’ve ever seen it,” she said.
Reno resident Luke Witosky, 42, said what got him out to the polls today was “the existential crisis of the collapse of democracy.”
“Well, the existential crisis of the collapse of democracy and potential for civil unrest and the importance of the rule of law as dictated by our Constitution and how important that is,” he said.
Witosky said he thinks Election Day should be a federal holiday.
Lemmon Valley resident Bryan Zobel, 61, said voting is “very important.”
“It’s very important because if we don’t, then those that are very fanatical, that are very organized will be heard more than everyone else,” he said.
Zobel said he wanted to vote to prevent candidates “on the ballot that will definitely disregard elections” from getting into office.
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter. Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com or 561-324-6421. Follow @BrettClarkson_ on Twitter. Contact Taylor Avery at TAvery@reviewjoural.com. Follow @travery98 on Twitter.
