LOFTY GOAL SET FOR YOUNG VOTERS PROJECT

Effort Focuses on Increasing Total Percentage of 18- to 24-Year-Old Voters
by 5 Percent to 8 Percent in Election

In Clark County, more people who are 80 years and older vote than those who
are 18 to 24.

And statewide just 31 percent of voters in that youngest demographic took
part in the 2000 presidential election.

The New Voters Project, a Colorado-based nonpartisan effort to increase
voting by younger Americans, is mobilizing on college campuses in Nevada
and five other states to help change those numbers.

"If you don't participate when you're young, you're likely to never
participate," said Katie Selenski, director of the project in Nevada.

The project's goal is to increase the total percentage of 18- to
24-year-old voters by 5 percent to 8 percent this election year. It is
funded and sponsored by the National Association of State Public Interest
Research Groups, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the George Washington
University Graduate School of Management.

"Politicians might start going to a campus versus going to Summerlin,"
Secretary of State Dean Heller said during a forum at UNLV on Wednesday to
discuss the project. "They don't talk about issues important to young
people because they don't think there's an audience."

Heller, whose office is endorsing the group's work in Nevada, said once a
block of voters emerges, politicians won't ignore them anymore.

"Once they make a difference in an election, let me assure you, politicians
will take notice," Heller said.

But the New Voters Project is going to have a tough time reaching the goal
of 36 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voting this year. Just 25 percent of
the people in that age demographic are in school.

What's more, those in college can't vote on their campus, largely because
past turnout by young voters doesn't give Clark County Registrar Larry
Lomax any reason to put his machines at UNLV when he can put them at a
Smith's in Sun City Summerlin.

The project hopes to register thousands of students on college campuses in
Nevada and then follow up with identification lists and aggressive
get-out-the-vote efforts for Election Day. Selenski asked college officials
at the meeting for the use of phone banks.

The project organizers were told their best bet would be a pop-up ad on the
main Web sites for the various colleges. Anytime a student goes online to
register for classes or financial aid, a message could pop up asking them
to register to vote.

The only problem there is that you can't register online in Nevada.

Packed House Expected

Officials with the state Democratic Party recently got a frantic call from
the staff at the Riviera asking them to find another location for this
Saturday's county convention.

The estimated crowd of 6,000 that packed the precinct caucuses last month
had hotel officials worried the 2,000-capacity room would not be enough for
the county convention.

"It's going to be tight," said Megan Jones of Sen. Harry Reid's campaign.

Already 2,000 people have pre-registered for the county convention. Since
Clark County is allotted a maximum of 2,156 delegates for its county
convention, any nondelegate who just comes to listen to the speeches might
have to be turned away.

"The fire marshal said the room will be OK," assured county chairman
Charlie Waterman. "I still think this will be the biggest county convention
we've ever had."

Thanks, but No Thanks

Rep. Jon Porter said no thanks last week to a $1,000 campaign contribution
from an organization that promotes relaxation of marijuana laws.

The Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates medical uses for marijuana
and decriminalization of pot possession, selected Porter and five other
lawmakers to benefit from its newly formed political action committee.

But the Nevada Republican said he was going to return the check, saying he
opposes medical marijuana use and favors criminal treatment of marijuana
possession. "I don't know why they picked me," he said.

Porter came to the project's attention after he voted for an amendment in
July that tried to cut off funding for Drug Enforcement Administration
raids on medical marijuana clinics in California, according to project
legislative director Steve Fox.

Porter was one of only 15 Republicans who supported the amendment, but the
Nevadan said he did so as a states rights matter, not because he favors
marijuana.

All told, four of the six recipients of Marijuana Policy Project checks
said they would not accept the money.

Fox attributed the lawmakers' cold shoulders to a fear of being perceived
as "soft on drugs."

"It's a misunderstanding of the popularity of this issue," he said.

Exit Complete

For the record: Lia Roberts resigned her position as chairwoman of the
Nevada State Republican Party last week, as expected, to concentrate on her
campaign for president of Romania.

A replacement will be elected in April just before the start of the State
Republican Convention.

Explanations Requested

The secretary of state's office sent official letters last week to
Assemblyman Chad Christensen and to Republican Assembly candidate Jon
Petrick asking them to clear up questions about campaign finance reports as
a result of complaints.

Both have until March 17 to respond.