Mohave Daily News: Local

KINGMAN -- A Bullhead City early voting site has drawn concerns from the opponents of the District 2 supervisor who is running for re-election.

Early voting began Tuesday for residents in the Bullhead City and Mohave Valley area who can vote in Dist. 2 Sup. Tom Sockwell's conference room at 1130 Hancock Road. Early voting sites will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Marc Goldstone, chair of the Arizona Tax Revolt, questioned the use of Sockwell's conference room as a place for the early voting site. Republican Roy Hagemyer is a write-in candidate running against Sockwell for his supervisor seat.

Having Sockwell's name at the facility and a doorway near the polling site constitutes advertisement, which violates a 75-foot ban of campaign sign, Goldstone said.

Hagemyer said he agreed to park his truck with a campaign sign near the building but was handed a letter by Sockwell on Wednesday from the county attorney's office saying the parking lot is county property and is used for county business only and cannot be used by candidates to campaign. Hagemyer said he would have to park across the street.

Hagemyer said he is checking with the state attorney general's office for guidance and may challenge the validity of the voting.

Voter registration administrative supervisor Kim Stewart said she has asked Bullhead City to use a site at the city building for an early voting site and was told there was no room. Mohave Community College was approached but also was turned down. Sockwell's conference room has been used in past elections without problems. It would be too late to get approval to change sites. A polling site also needs to have county Web connections, she said.

“I've searched for alternatives many times with no luck,” Stewart said. “No one was concerned with our location in February of this year, nor did I receive any complaints during the primary election last month.”

Stewart also said Hagemyer's name is eye level inside the conference room and is highlighted in yellow as is required for any write-in candidate's name. Sockwell's name is not on the conference room door or inside the conference room but it is several feet away for his office. Stewart also said doors entering the facility have been rekeyed so even Sockwell or his assistant cannot enter the conference room.

Stewart said if a write-in candidate feels a disadvantage for not having their name on the ballot, they should have filed the necessary signatures to get on the ballot.

Stewart also said an early voting site is an extension of the voter's registration office and is not considered a polling site. The voter's registration office does not have to have an early voting site in Bullhead City, only in Kingman.