Early voting on pacewith 2012 election

More than 900 Churchill County residents have taken advantage of early voting for the general election and will cast ballots for federal, statewide and local candidates for the next eight days.

According to Deputy Clerk Erin Montalvo of the Churchill County Clerk’s/Treasurer’s office, 325 residents voted on Saturday, while Monday saw 345 voters select candidates. The breakdown showed 216 Republicans, 63 Democrats and 46 other party affiliations voted on opening day, while 214 Republicans, 85 Democrats and 46 other voted on Monday. Exact figures party affiliations and totals were not available by press time for on Tuesday’s voting.

Residents can vote Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. including Nevada Day, and Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

“The early voting number is what we were expecting, but it will pick up on the last day,”said Montalvo, adding the clerk’s office has received a 142 absentee ballots out of 362 that were sent out.

Montalvo said the absentee ballots must be in the clerk’s office no later than 7 p.m. on Nov. 4.

General election voting for 19 precincts from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Nov. 4.

“I can see the numbers being comparable with 2010,” Montalvo said.

That’s when Nevada had a highly contested U.S. Senate race between incumbent Harry Reid and Sharron Angle, and locally, the sheriff’s race attracted the voters.

In 2012, however, Montalvo said early voting broke all county records when 6,244 took advantage of early voting beczuse it was a presidential year, and Sen. Dean Heller was running for for his first full six-year term after being appointed to replace former Sen. John Ensign.

Republicans also outnumber Democrats in Churchill County in final numbers released by he clerk’s office. Out of 12,240 registered voters, 6,895 are Republicans, while 2,651 are Democrats. Independent voters count for 1,857 voters followed by the Independent American Party with 702. Libertarians account for 83 voters.