On Tuesday, June 4, Robert Beadles, through his initiative Operation Sunlight, released video footage, photographs, and voice recordings of a tour conducted at the Washoe County elections facility.
The tour included Beadles, his attorney, their lead for observation scheduling, Washoe County Registrar of Voters (ROV) Cari-Ann Burgess, and county attorney Herb Caplan. During the hour-long walkthrough, the group asked several questions regarding election security.
In one recording, Burgess emphatically stated that USB flash drives would not be plugged into any election computers, a practice she condemned based on an incident in 2022 involving a technician named Mike. She emphasized that the only permissible use of USB drives would be on election night to transfer votes from the machines to the central count system. Burgess further mentioned that her office was implementing security measures to prevent USB use, citing potential termination for violating this protocol.
The reason behind this strict policy is well-known in the tech community: USB drives can be vectors for spyware, malware, and viruses, which can compromise an entire system. Despite this, Beadles and his team observed Mike, the same technician, using a USB flash drive in the EMS-Tabulation room. According to Beadles, Mike took a white flash drive from his pocket, inserted it into a computer that houses election votes, worked for several minutes, and then pocketed it again before leaving.
The action raised concerns, as the computer in question is supposed to be “air-gapped,” meaning it is isolated from the internet to prevent external access and ensure security. The observed use of the flash drive contradicts the security protocols outlined by Burgess.
Beadles has filed an election violation complaint with the Nevada Secretary of State’s office but has not received a response.
When questioned, county attorney Caplan and a spokesperson from the ROV stated that it was for risk-limiting audit (RLA) testing. However, Beadles pointed out that RLA testing is supposed to be conducted before the start of the election, not during the early voting period.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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