Thursday, June 4, 1998 | 10:20 a.m.
Computer problems have slowed the tedious process of verifying all 7,474 signatures filed by a citizens group attempting to force a recall of Clark County Commission Chairwoman Yvonne Atkinson Gates for alleged ethical lapses.
Clark County Registrar of Voters Kathryn Ferguson said such slowdowns could affect her office's goal of completing the verification by next Thursday, a day before a June 12 court hearing has been scheduled to argue whether Secretary of State Dean Heller's decision to order the full verification is legal.
A computer shutdown occurred Wednesday after only 950 signatures had been checked. Ferguson said computer problems this morning have caused further delays.
Secretary of State Dean Heller ordered the full verification after his prior ruling to fail the petition was challenged by Citizens for Honest and Responsible Government. That ruling was based on a random sample of 503 signatures, which came up short of the number needed to force a recall.
The appeal marks the first time a ruling of Heller's has been challenged since the law allowing appeals was put on the books in 1993.
Ferguson and 15 of her election department workers began the verification process Wednesday with the help of Heller and 16 of his staff, two days after a Washoe County District judge lifted a temporary stay that had been granted to Gates and her attorneys last week.
Heller left Chief Deputy Secretary Donald Reis in charge of the $58,350 verification process -- the estimated combined cost of county and state staff time, not including the cost of Ferguson and her two assistant registrars.
To meet next Thursday's deadline, the team plans to to work 12 hours a day through the weekend, averaging just over 1,000 signatures a day to finish the job.
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