Washoe County Commission Certify Election Results

Washoe County commissioners have finally certified the primary election results, but not without a fair share of drama and dissent.

In the three-to-two vote on certification, Commissioners Alexis Hill, Mariluz Garcia, and Clara Andriola were in favor, while Mike Clark and Jeanne Herman stood against it. Interim Registrar of Voters Cari-Ann Burgess reported 80,262 votes cast and counted, representing 24.52 percent of registered voters.

Commissioner Jeanne Herman highlighted personal anecdotes and constituent concerns, calling into question the integrity of the balloting process. She advocated for scrapping the election and starting over, citing numerous irregularities.

Commissioner Mike Clark gave a scathing critique of county leadership and the election process. He pointed to instances where ballots had been incorrectly mailed or not mailed as requested, including his experience of missing a ballot while someone else received one at his address.

“As for mistakes on a ballot or people not receiving ballots, those kinds of things – while they’re regrettable – they don’t necessarily affect a vote that was cast. There are mechanisms all throughout state law and federal law if there were incorrect votes made.”

“That’s the foundational basis of the whole election,” Clark asserted. “You can work as hard as you want and do everything as perfectly as you can, but if the foundation of the system – the voter rolls – isn’t correct, what have you done?”

Burgess, the Interim Registrar of Voters, confirmed that approximately 25,000 ballots were returned as undeliverable, each costing $3.50, for a price tag of $875-thousand in taxpayer money.

“How do I endorse that?” Clark questioned.

The certified results will be forwarded to the Nevada Secretary of State for final approval.