Nevada Supreme Court is asked to step into Washoe County fray over certification of recount results

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Two top officials in Nevada are asking the state Supreme Court to step into a fray over a vote earlier this week by Washoe County commissioners not to certify recount results in two local races.

Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford filed a petition with the court Wednesday, seeking confirmation of the commissioners’ legal obligations when it comes to canvassing and certifying election results.

They also want the court to require the full commission to certify the recounts from last month’s primary no later than Aug. 22, when the statewide canvass must be complete to ensure the contents of general election ballots are finalized in accordance with Nevada law.

The certification flap has potential implications for how the November elections could play out in one of the nation’s most important swing counties.

Aguilar in a statement acknowledged that the circumstances in Nevada’s second most populous county could set “a dangerous precedent.”

“It is unacceptable that any public officer would undermine the confidence of their voters,” he said.

The three Republican members on the five-member Washoe County board voted Tuesday to reject the results of recounts in one race for a commission seat and another for a local school board seat. The move instantly spurred questions about what would happen next.

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