Voter turnout in Washoe County has been both strong and steady. In fact, officials report 80,000 voters have taken part. But now there is concern that absentee ballots could be late because of delays from superstorm Sandy on the east coast. But Washoe County Registrar of Voters Dan Burk says in Nevada we have a buffer built in.
"We mail out those ballots 45 days before the election," Burk says. "That's 15 days before we mail out any of the other ballots so that gives them a longer period to get them back in and they are the only category that has that."
According to Burk, most of the ballots coming here from the military and from voters overseas come through San Francisco and L. A. rather than through the east coast. But officials are keeping tabs on the east coast transportation snags...just in case.
"We do know the delivery system is slow because trains and planes are down back east," Burk says, "and we want to make sure that overseas voters who cast their ballots and send them in know that they will be counted."
And if there are problems, we even have a legal safeguard in place.
"If the Secretary of State decodes there is a significant number of voters that should be allowed to turn in the ballots late, he does have the option," Burk says.
However, according to the Secretary of State's Office today, that has never been enacted for a weather disaster. It was however, used in 2010 when 34 overseas ballots requested weren't sent out in time. They delayed the count until all the ballots were in.
Written by Erin Breen
