Nevada county reverses controversial vote and certifies two recounts while legal action looms

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Commissioners in Nevada’s second most populous county certified the results of two local recounts on Tuesday, reversing course on a controversial vote against certification that spurred legal action and put Washoe County in unchartered legal territory.

The 4-1 vote overturns a rare move against certifying election recount results from last month’s primary in the politically mixed swath of Reno and northern Nevada that had potential implications for how the November elections could play out in one of the nation’s most important swing counties.

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford are still waiting for the state Supreme Court to address a petition they filed last week that seeks to confirm the legal obligations of county commissioners to certify election results. While it is unclear if or when the court will take that up, a ruling could set precedent and apply to county commissions statewide who refuse to certify results in November.

Aguilar had said that the circumstances of last week’s vote could set “a dangerous precedent” that undermines the confidence of voters.

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