RENO, Nev. (AP) 鈥� Commissioners in Nevada鈥檚 second most populous county on Tuesday refused to certify the results of two local recounts from last month鈥檚 primary, a rare move that has potential implications for the presidential race in one of the nation鈥檚 most important swing states.
The three Republican members on the five-member Washoe County Board of Commissioners voted to reject the results of recounts in one race for a commission seat and another for a local school board seat. What happens next is unclear.
The county elections department and district attorney鈥檚 office declined to comment, along with the state attorney general. A request for comment from the secretary of state was not immediately returned.
The rejection of the recounts and questions over how to handle it raised concerns about if a local commission refused to certify the presidential election results.
Once seen as a mundane and ministerial task, election certification has become a pressure point since the 2020 election. During the midterms two years later, a scenario similar to what is unfolding in Washoe County played out in New Mexico after that state鈥檚 primary, when a rural county delayed certification of the results and only after the secretary of state appealed to the state鈥檚 supreme court.
The vote was first reported by
The certification standoff is the latest to roil Washoe County, which includes Reno and its suburbs and has narrowly voted for the Democrat in the last two presidential contests. Conspiracy theories about voting machines and have led to in the local election office the past four years. They also were on display Tuesday during the commission meeting in downtown Reno.
The public comments were filled by residents who alleged irregularities in the election, demanded a hand-count of ballots and sometimes spouted false claims of stolen elections and a 鈥渃abal鈥� within the county.
Against that backdrop, and rapid election staff turnover, the county elections department has also made certain administrative mistakes, like sending mail ballots to voters who had opted out of receiving them and misprinting certain local sample ballots, though none that affect tabulation.
Two of the Republican commissioners, Jeanne Herman and Mike Clark, have consistently voted against certifying results and are supported by the that promotes election conspiracy theories. Republican Clara Andriola, who that movement has targeted in the primaries, joined them in voting against certification of the recounts, one of which involved the primary race she won.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of information that has been shared that in my opinion warrants further investigation,鈥� said Andriola, who had not previously voted against certifying results. She referenced several 鈥渉iccups鈥� by the elections department and referenced public commenters who raised concerns.
She said she was appreciative of the county elections department but wanted to take the certification results to other governing or judicial bodies. She acknowledged that it is not immediately clear what particular entity that will be.
The commission's two Democratic members voted against rejecting the recount results, which changed just one vote in each of the two races. The board had previously voted to certify the other races from last month鈥檚 primary 3-2, with Andriola voting in favor.
Gabe Stern, The Associated Press
