Informing Democracy reviewed members of Nevada’s 17 Boards of County Commissioners and County Clerks to identify individuals who could pose a threat to free and fair elections. We looked for statements or actions that indicated election denial, attempts to subvert election administration or undermine faith in the system, sharing election conspiracies, and other anti-democratic sentiment.
Concerning findings do not mean an official will seek to undermine the next election, just as a lack of findings is not a guarantee an official will faithfully execute their duties. This research provides guidance on where attention should be focused to ensure that elections are administered properly according to the law. Notably, research showed that the vast majority of local election officials are dedicated public servants, committed to running free and fair elections.
Of the 91 public officials whose news mentions, social media, and official actions were reviewed, 30 had findings that raised concern—nearly 33%.
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By the Numbers: 33% of officials reviewed exhibited concerning behavior. Officials with concerning findings are present in 11 of 17 counties.
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Four counties pose major concern for free and fair election administration this November due to the willingness of officials to subvert election administration or entertain and act on conspiracy theories from well-known election deniers like Jim Marchant.
Our review of Nevada officials identified seven officials with roles administering or certifying elections who publicly denied or questioned the results of the 2020 election. Election deniers shared conspiracy theories about election fraud, amplified claims from election deniers like Sidney Powell and Lin Wood on social media, and even claimed that the result was stolen or rigged. One such official, County Commissioner Rex Steninger, wrote in an October 2021 email that he was “convinced the last election was stolen and have been involved in every way I can think of to reveal the steal and fix the system.” His election denial has led him to attack voting machines and hatch a plan to force all Nevada counties into using paper ballots.
In addition to election deniers serving as County Commissioners or Clerks, Nevada has an active election denial movement, including figures such as Robert Beadles and failed Secretary of State candidate Jim Marchant. These and other election deniers have been platformed by County Commissioners to speak at meetings and have pushed for officials to take action, like hand counting ballots, based on their conspiracy theories.
Five County Commissioners and one County Clerk have taken action to obstruct or undermine Nevada’s electoral processes.
Sitting County Commissioners in Elko, Nye, and Washoe counties previously voted against certifying election results. Washoe County Commissioners Jeanne Herman and Mike Clark each voted against certification: Herman during the 2020 general and 2022 primary elections and Clark in the 2024 presidential preference primary. Alarmingly, in July 2024 a third County Commissioner, Clara Andriola, joined Herman and Clark in voting against certifying the results of two recounts, in a majority vote against certification that was unprecedented in the state. Though Andriola and Clark ultimately changed their votes at a later meeting to carry out their ministerial duties, Clark noted he did so “under extreme duress.” Elko County Commissioner Rex Steninger voted against certifying the 2022 primary recount in protest of how the state mandated that the recount take place. Nye County Commissioner Donna Cox voted against certifying the 2022 primary election.