Heller: Voting changes for the better

Secretary of State Dean Heller, who has overseen a statewide shift in how elections will be run this year, talked recently about the differences voters will face at the polls - including, for many, new machines inside the booth.

What are some of the most important changes in the election law this year?

Heller: The biggest change in election law is the Help America Vote Act. Although we're not required to fully implement HAVA until 2006, Nevada's doing much of it two years in advance. The most important requirement, developing a statewide voter registration list, was postponed until 2006. Sen. Dodd (Christopher, D-Ct.) asked me personally what I thought was the No. 1 issue in dealing with voter fraud. I said the lack of statewide voter registration.

For me, the biggest change is that under HAVA, the responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the secretaries of state for how well elections are run. Traditionally, it was always on the county clerks and registrars.

What will look or work differently when voters go to the polls this year?

Heller: For many Nevada voters, everything will be different. They'll be using the ATM- style machines with voter-verifiable receipt printers. Clark County voters have been using that type of machine for several elections. Of all the states, Nevada's going to be the one that's most different this year because we decertified punch cards, and every voter in the state will use electronic voting machines.

When you walk in, instead of being handed a ballot, you'll be handed what looks like a credit card that gives you access to one of the machines. You slide it in just like you would an ATM, then read the instructions, and it'll walk you through how to vote. The luxury Nevada will have is being able to confirm that vote in the machine on a printer. Nevada is also the only state that will have those printers. The eyes of every state will be on Nevada.

But people need to know they can't have that receipt and won't be able to do so in the future because it's against federal law. The reason it's against the law to get a receipt showing how you voted is to prevent someone from offering to buy votes.

What do the new voting machines offer to people, and can they be assured they are accurate?

Heller: These machines offer people with disabilities and other specific needs the ability for the first time to cast their ballot without assistance. The voter can decide on larger print if their vision or their hearing is impaired. Or they can have headphones if they have trouble seeing or if they're blind. For voters with limited English, the machines will provide ballots in Spanish in Clark County. Washoe and other counties will be doing that in the future.

For those who are paraplegic, the machines have the ability to use a puffer system to vote with your mouth.

You can't accidentally vote for too many candidates in one race because the machine won't let you. And if you missed a race, it reminds you before you cast your ballot.

A lot of people were turned away in 2000 and 2002 because they weren't on the voting rolls or for other problems. What will happen this time?

Heller: If your name's not in the poll book, in the past you were turned away. That will not occur in the future. In Nevada, you'll be given a provisional ballot that allows you to vote in federal races - for president, U.S. Senate and your congressional race. Then your registration can be checked to determine whether your ballot is counted. That's required by HAVA, but the law left it to the states to decide if voters would be allowed to vote a full ballot.

The Nevada Legislature refused to expand it to allow provisional voting in state and local races. I disagree with that, and the clerks wanted it too, but the Legislature saw it differently.

What kind of turnout do you expect compared to previous elections?

Heller: I expect a high turnout. Presidential years always have a higher voter turnout than the elections in between. But I expect this year to be significantly higher even than the last presidential election.

I'm anticipating a 10 to 15 percent increase in voter participation in this state, most importantly because of how close this race is going to be. I think in 2000, people saw that their vote makes a difference. And there were real frustrations over the handling of the election in 2000.

The second reason is that we have become a battleground state. With the amount of money these people are spending in the state on advertising, I think it's going to increase turnout. Also, Nevada has one more electoral vote than it did in 2000, so it's more important.