Although Democrats held a very slight registration edge as of the Sept. 7 primary (Democrat 383,651, Republican 382,630, Non-partisan 143,103, Others 36,597), Republicans regained the advantage by the Oct. 12 deadline for registering to vote in the General Election (Democrat 429,808, Republican 434,239, Non-partisan 161,620, Others 45,534).  More than 125,000 Nevadans registered in this period.

Democrats raised concerns that Voter Outreach of America, a offshoot of the Arizona-based firm Sproul & Associates, doing registration work for the Republican National Committee, destroyed Democratic voter registration cards.  An investigation by the Nevada Department of Public Safety "found no evidence of an organized or concerted effort which would influence or impact the result of the elections in Clark County based on these allegations.  The investigation has revealed however that some of the individuals involved in collecting voter registrations were forging documents with fictitious names and addresses for personal gain."

Nevada saw a lot of advertising including Spanish language ads and some ads specifically tailored to the state (1, 2, 3, 4).  In mid-September 2004 Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik ran an ad featuring Aaron Russo, who ran for governor of Nevada in 1998 and who had competed with Badnarik for the Libertarian nomination.

More than half of Nevada's voters voted before Election Day.

After the votes were counted there was a court challenge to the Bush electors based on the registration fraud allegations, but Washoe County District Judge Peter Breen dismissed the matter on Nov. 30, 2004.  Additionally Libertarian nominee Michael Badnarik and Green Party nominee David Cobb sought a recount, but they dropped the effort on Dec. 2, 2004 after Secretary of State Dean Heller informed them they would have to make a hefty deposit to cover costs he estimated at $346,207.
 

Bush-Cheney '04	Kerry-Edwards 2004
Organization details...	details...
Bush-Cheney '04, Inc. State Chair: Attorney General Brian Sandoval Exec. Director: Scott Stewart  Victory '04 Director: Chris Carr Nevada Republican Party Chairman: Earlene Forsythe Exec. Director: Chris Carr	Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc. State Director: Anne Sheridan Comm. Director: Sean Smith Victory 2004 Director: Rebecca Lambe Nevada State Democratic Party State Chair: Adriana Martinez Exec. Director: Rebecca Lambe

Travel  compare...

BUSH-CHENEY	KERRY-EDWARDS
Final Month (Oct. 2-Nov. 2, 2004)
George W. Bush - 1 visit, 1 day Dick Cheney - 1 visits, 1 day Laura Bush (solo) - 2 visits, 2 days	John Kerry - 3 visits, 3 days John Edwards - 0 visits Teresa Heinz Kerry (solo) - 1 visit, 1 day Elizabeth Edwards (solo) - 1 visit, 1 day
Eight Months (March 2-Nov. 2, 2004)
George W. Bush - 4 visit, 4 days Dick Cheney - 6 visits, 6 days Laura Bush (solo) - 4 visits, 4 days	John Kerry - 6 visits, 7 days John Edwards - 1 visits, 1 day Teresa Heinz Kerry (solo) - 1 visit, 1 days Elizabeth Edwards (solo) - 2 visits, 2 days

Newspaper Endorsements

BUSH Elko Daily Free Press  Las Vegas Review-Journal  (09/12/04)

KERRY Reno Gazette-Journal  (10/24/04)  Las Vegas Sun  (10/24/04)  Las Vegas Mercury  (10/17/04)  ...alternative weekly  Nevada Appeal [Carson City]  (10/17/04)

Third Party and Independent
Ballot Access
NRS 298.109 Nomination of independent candidates for President and Vice President; designation of candidate’s nominees for presidential electors; challenge to candidacy.
1.  A person who desires to be an independent candidate for the office of President of the United States must, not later than 5 p.m. on the second Friday in August in each year in which a presidential election is to be held, pay a filing fee of $250 and file with the Secretary of State a declaration of candidacy and a petition of candidacy, in which he must also designate his nominee for Vice President. The petition must be signed by a number of registered voters equal to not less than 1 percent of the total number of votes cast at the last preceding general election for candidates for the offices of Representative in Congress and must request that the names of the proposed candidates be placed on the ballot at the general election that year.  [The 2002 total was 499,908 so candidates needed to submit 5,000 valid signatures].

NADER
The Independent campaign of Ralph Nader submitted more than 11,000 signatures on July 8, 2004.  On July 21, the Secretary of State informed organizers that 8,681 of 11,888 signatures turned in in Clark and Washoe Counties were valid.
 

More Candidate Visits
NADER
October 13, 2004
-Press/campaign speech at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Moyer Student Union, in Las Vegas, NV.
August 29, 2004
-Press conference on Yucca Mountain and campaign speech at Las Vegas Library in Las Vegas, NV.
 

BADNARIK
September 5-6, 2004
Sept. 5
-Attends gun show in Las Vegas, NV.
-Fundraiser at Carluccio's Tivoli Gardens restaurant in Las Vegas, NV.  (money from this event helped run TV ad)
Sept. 6
-Public forum, with magician Penn Jillette and others, at Bugsy's Supper Club in Las Vegas, NV.
July 24, 2004
-Speaks a the fifth annual Freedom 21 National Conference at John Ascuaga's Nugget Hotel in Reno, NV.
 

COBB
August 12, 2004
-Meet and greet at Rainshadow Community Charter High School in Reno, NV.
-Rally for Terry Dennis, scheduled to be executed, at Nevada State Prison in Carson City, NV.
 

PEROUTKA
July 24, 2004
-Speaks a the fifth annual Freedom 21 National Conference at John Ascuaga's Nugget Hotel in Reno, NV.

Copyright ©  2005  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.

NV Republican Party www.nevadagop.org	NV State Democratic Party www.nvdems.com
Libertarian Party of NV www.lpnevada.org	NV Green Party www.nevadagreenparty.org	Indep. American Party of NV www.iapn.org
			...U.S. Senate
Richard Ziser (R) www.ziserforsenate.com	Sen. Harry Reid (D) www.friendsforharryreid.com