RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s Supreme Court declined Tuesday to wade into an electoral controversy despite pleas from the state’s top election official and attorney general after one county initially voted against certifying recount results from the June primary.
The Democratic officials wanted the justices to make clear that counties have no legal authority to refuse to certify election results.
The high court said in a ruling that the matter was moot since the Washoe County Commission’s original 3-2 vote against certification was later nullified when it re-voted the following week to certify the results.
The court dismissed Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford’s request for a ruling declaring the commission acted illegally. But the justices also made clear that they have the legal authority to make such a declaration and warned they may do so on an expedited basis if it becomes an issue again.
“As petitioner argues, even when an issue becomes moot, we may still consider the issue if it constitutes ‘a matter of widespread importance capable of repetition,’” the court said.