Recall Update – What’s Next?

Yesterday we traveled to the Storey County Clerks Office in Virginia City and down to interview officials in the Secretary of State’s Office in Carson City to provide an update to the Special Election process.

Here’s what we learned:

Vanessa Stephens advised thestoreyteller.online her office is moving forward in anticipation of a Special Recall Election. She estimates the process will cost Storey County Taxpayers roughly $25,000.  NRS Statute provides several time frame scenarios that would allow her to call an election after the time window to file a legal challenge to her findings closes. That window closes on Friday at 5:00 p.m.

She said she would push the election to the maximum legal limit of 30 days after the statute mandated clock starts ticking as she has to deal with printing and mailing of the special election ballot and deal with advertising  the election. She is waiting for clarification of NRS statute* to see if her office will or not to send out vote by mail forms. The Editors of thestoryeteller.online believe voting by mail forms are vital to ensuring all votes are counted. We urge readers to call The Storey County Clerks Office (775-847-0969) or email (clerk@storeycounty.org) to insist everyone who is set up to vote by mail be sent a ballot. I personally have not voted at a polling place since 1988 and can’t imagine going into a precinct to do so. When you consider the demographic of Storey County is an astounding 50% aged 50 and older, this a key component of a fair election  in today’s modern super busy world (actually, given the spectacular security available today, there is every reason for us to vote via text or email;, this is 2017 for goodness sake).**

Should a challenge be filed in District Court, an emergency hearing will be held to decide the merits of the challenge. According to the Secretary of State’s Office there are a number of directions they could go from forcing a recount of all signatures in Storey County to re-certifying the signatures themselves depending on the ruling from the Court.

Should a recall election move forward, there are three possible outcomes:

•  The Sheriff is retained

•  The Sheriff is recalled

•  The Sheriff is recalled and a successor is elected

The last outcome would happen only if a potential candidate has circulated their own petition and qualifies to appear on the ballot. Rumor has it that there are several deputies considering this possibility to prevent the Commissioners from being able to appoint their own Sheriff.

Should a recall election take place and in absence of a qualifying competing candidate, the ballot will read simply:

• Vote to Recall the Sheriff

• Vote to Retain the Sheriff

If the Sheriff is retained, it is business as usual.

If the Sheriff is recalled, according to NRS Statute, Storey County Commissioners will select a qualified  replacement.

* We have a call into the Secretary of State’s Office to clarify statute and requirements of the vote by mail ballot and will update this posting with that information, so check back if you are reading this…

**No, the Russians didn’t hack this or any other election. They may have hacked the irresponsibly insecure mail server of the DNC who got their security handbook from former State Department Employees. Or they may not have…

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And remember, if you want to find out what happened last week next week, buy a paper. To find out what’s going down now, stay tuned to thestoreyteller.online