During a recent meeting, the Washoe County Board of Commissioners made an unprecedented decision by refusing to certify the results of two recounts from the June election.
The board voted 3 to 2 against certifying the results, causing uncertainty for multiple agencies.
One of the commissioners, Michael Clark, emphasized the importance of rebuilding public trust and expressed concerns about the decision to deny certification.
"We need to get the public's trust back and stonewalling and telling to go to heck," said Washoe County Commissioner Michael Clark.
The vote saw three Republicans voting against the recount certification and two Democrats in favor of it. Commissioner Clara Andriola, considered the swing vote, sided with her fellow Republicans, stating that her decision was based on the need to investigate allegations formally filed.
"My vote of not certifying this is not against that you all did; it's really to look at the investigative part of the allegations that, in this case, has been formally filed," said Washoe County Commissioner Clara Andriola.Â
Andriola has since requested a reconsideration vote for the upcoming Tuesday, which has been welcomed by Washoe County Board of Commissioners Chair Alexis Hill. The situation is significant as the implications of a county's refusal to certify a vote remain unclear.
"We are the only county in Nevada that has not certified a vote, so it's creating a difficult process for our democratic norms," said Alexis Hill.Â
Conservative activist Robert Beadles and his supporters have contested the results and called for a hand recount.
However, Washoe County District Attorney Nathan Edwards emphasized the necessity to conduct a recount in a manner consistent with the original vote.
"Once the election is done using a mechanized process, the recount has to be done in the same way it was tabulated during the original vote, so not at this point you're not allowed to just change horses in the middle of the ride," said Washoe County District Attorney Nathan Edwards.Â
Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford issued a joint statement condemning the commission's failure to certify the results, citing the potential danger this sets for elections in Nevada and the confidence of voters.
"This week, three county commissioners refused to canvass accurate election results as law requires. This vote has the potential to set a dangerous precedent for elections in Nevada. It is unacceptable that any public officer would undermine the confidence of their voters," said Secretary Aguilar.
"When the Board of Commissioners failed to perform its duty to certify the authenticated results of the recount, it failed to meet the expectation of Nevada voters that the election results would reflect the votes of the majority," said AG Ford.
“The Let Nevadans Vote Coalition stands firmly behind Secretary of State Aguilar and Attorney General Ford for taking steps to safeguard our elections and ensure that the voters of Washoe County will not have their democratic process held hostage by election denialism on the county commission," said Emily Persaud-Zamora, Executive Director of Silver State Voices.
