LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Clark County commissioners on Thursday certified the recount of the Republican primary for governor upholding Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo’s win over former boxer, Joey Gilbert.
Nevertheless, just how secure is the election process?
"The appropriate motion is to accept the motion and certify the recount. Move to accept the motion and certify the recount."
Clark County commissioners unanimously voting to certify the results of the GOP primary election for governor Thursday. The recount confirming Sheriff Joe Lombardo’s win and Joey Gilbert gaining only one vote. Registrar of Voters, Joe Gloria, says the small discrepancies came from mail-in ballots.
"In each one of these cases, the voter did not follow statute and cancelling out the original candidate and selecting a new candidate,” Gloria said.
Vote Nevada executive director Sondra Cosgrove says the recount's outcome was expected with election officials were diligent in tabulating votes the first time.
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"They're talking about regulations and processes and how to make sure that there's double checking on things and double eyes are seeing things,” she said.
Gilbert's campaign paid for the recount, a cost of almost $200,000. Cosgrove says Nevada’s election system is secure and has multiple layers of protection.
"What people don't realize is how much time our election officials protect us from hacking like the Russians and people trying to do nefarious things,” she said.
Election fraud is extremely rare in Nevada. The Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization advocating for public policy, listed only seven cases of prosecuted voter fraud in Nevada since 2011, with millions of votes cast during that time span.
"When you look at the ratio of votes that are cast, and the number they said there was fraud, you're not overturning and election with this…when you've got this,” Cosgrove said.
Why would a candidate still say the election was "rigged"? Cosgrove says, losing can be emotional.
"It's hard to lose. It's really hard to lose when you've heard from so many people that they really want you,” she said.
The Nevada secretary of state published a report last year. It showed there was no widespread voter fraud in our state during the 2020 election.
