By BOBBIE GREEN
The Progress
The Mesquite Republican Women held a membership meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 12 which featured Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske and Election Deputy Secretary Mark Wlaschin speaking to the group from an online platform. Each of them answered pre-submitted questions from attendees and then fielded questions live from the audience.
Cegavske explained that, of the 17 counties in Nevada, 15 have elected clerks. The other two counties, Washoe and Clark, are appointed by their county commissioners.
“I do not appoint anyone and they answer to their county commissioners.” Cegavske said.
Cegavske said it is the legislature which makes the election laws. “I don’t always agree with the laws, but once they are made this office must follow the laws,” she said.
The Secretary of State office does not certify elections, Cegavske said. “Each of the 17 counties certify their own election, bring it to this office and we present it to the Supreme Court who then certifies the Nevada Election,” she added.
Wlaschin talked about the Election Registration Information Center (ERIC). Nevada is one of 33 states that use the system. He talked passionately about how he believes the system detects double voters and keeps the voter registration rolls up to date.
County Clerks are also responsible for keeping their registration rolls up to date, he said. That process is governed by state and federal law.
“They are dictated by federal law not to remove a voter from the rolls until they have been inactive for two federal general elections,” Cegavske said. “So they will continue to get mailed ballots until removed from the rolls.”
Cegavske said, that she had asked the DMV to use different numbers when issuing drivers licenses to undocumented persons to be able to detect non-citizens from citizens for the voter rolls. The DMV did not comply.
“I have been asking for voter I.D. since 1997,” Cegavske said. “But the legislature will not pass it.”
That leaves election offices with more work to do sorting all of this out, she said.
Wlaschin fervently emphasized that his election board is working non-stop to prevent election fraud within the boundaries of the law. “We are concerned about the voter registration of non-citizens at the DMV,” he said.
Answering a question about Clark County Registrar of Voters Joe Gloria, Cegavske said, “Joe does not report to the Secretary of State office, but to the County Commissioners.”
In person at the meeting was also Helen Oseguera running for Clark County Assessor.
“One of my foremost objectives, if I get in office, is to fix the cap rate system and restore confidence in the Nevada tax rate system,” Oseguera said. “I believe the monies collected are not going where they are supposed be going.”
She said that she wants a comprehensive examination of the Assessor’s office and its funding.
Also in attendance was Robert Kurth who is running for District Court, Family Division, Department A. Kurth said he has been practicing law for 30 years in Nevada.
“I believe in fairness for everyone, and the Constitution says everyone is equal,” Kurth said. “I am ready to quit my private practice to hold this office. I have more experience than my other opponents.”
Timothy Treffinger came to the meeting. He is running for Clark County District Attorney. Treffinger said three things are needed in the District Attorney office that are not there now because the current D.A. has been there too long. These he identified as Equality, Consistency and Transparency.
“The law applies to everybody, and should be applied equally to everyone,” said Treffinger “This is what I hope to bring to the office.”
