Today marked Nevada’s final step in the 2020 Election Process when the delegates from all 50 states and the District of Columbia certified the results of the Presidential Election.  For a thorough explanation of the process, visit the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) page: https://www.archives.gov/files/electoral-college/state-officials/presidential-election-brochure.pdf

As a general principle I do not comment on national politics but rather focus primarily on my responsibilities at the state level representing the 64,000 people in my district and the policies I can directly impact as an Assembly Representative in the Nevada Legislature. However, this election cycle has brought about more attention, questions, and concerns than ever before from constituents and citizens around the state and nation.  I hope this newsletter will serve as a resource of factual information and insight if you are one who has questions and concerns.  
 
In the November 3rd, 2020 General Election, 1,407,754 (77.26%) across the state of Nevada turned out to vote. https://silverstateelection.nv.gov/vote-turnout/ In Washoe County we had 252,563 (82.53%) cast their ballots. To see the breakdown of votes by race go to:

On November 16th, the Washoe County Commission certified the results in a special meeting for the Canvass of the Vote. To see the power point providing a summary of the results presented by the Registrar of Voters, click here:

On November 24th, the Nevada Supreme Court certified the results of the General Election. You can watch the presentation by the Nevada Secretary of State here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?478346-1/nevada-certification-2020-election-results

On December 4th, Judge James Russell (a lifelong Republican and respected conservative judge in Nevada) of the 1st Judicial District Court dismissed a case seeking an order from the Court “either declaring President Donald Trump the winner in Nevada” or holding that President-elect Joe Biden’s victory “be declared null and void”. This unprecedented request was denied because the “Contestants failed to meet their burden to provide credible and relevant evidence to substantiate any of the grounds set forth in NRS 293.410.”

If you have questions or concerns about the 2020 Election process, the voting machines, ballot counting and verification, interference, and claims of widespread voter fraud, I highly recommend you read the findings of fact and conclusions of the law in the Judge’s order here: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/20420186/order-granting-motion-to-dismiss-statement-of-contest-1.pdf

On Dec. 8th, the Supreme Court of Nevada dismissed an appeal of Judge Russel’s ruling citing the “appellants have not demonstrated any legal error in the District Court’s application of NRS 293.410.” You can read the ruling here: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/20421618/supreme-court-order_trump-election-contest.pdf

On December 11th, the United States Supreme Court rejected a similar attempt to overturn the election results in other states in a case brought forward by the State of Texas. You can read the statement of the High Court here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/121120zr_p860.pdf

In summary, there was simply not enough substantiated evidence to invalidate the results of the presidential election and I am greatly troubled by the impact this process has had on many citizens’ faith in the election system and our democracy.

There is no doubt there is room for improvement and in the next legislative session, I and some of my colleagues will be putting forward bills to help close loopholes that have created uncertainty, clean up voter rolls, clarify provisions and work to restore our citizens’ faith in the process. I plan to work collaboratively with the Secretary of State, county election officials, citizens, and my colleagues in the Nevada Legislature to address some of the concerns raised in this past election cycle but I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge their perseverance through the greatest challenges and pressures any of them ever imagined they would face. 

I would also like to once again acknowledge the hard work of our Republican Caucus Leadership Team and the many supporters who helped us successfully gain more seats in the Assembly, elevating us out of super minority status and bringing more balance back to the state. This 2020 election yielded gains for Republicans in the Senate and Assembly demonstrating how local efforts to connect to what matters most to citizens is the best way to move forward now and in the future. 

It has always been and will always be my goal to do my homework, serve with integrity and base my decisions on sound evidence and reasoning for the good of Nevadans. Thank you always for your input and support as I seek to represent well in Assembly District 25. 

When it comes to:

The Constitution, may we uphold it.
The Right to Vote, may we protect it.
The Integrity of our Vote, may we secure it.
The Election 2020 results,
may we come together to move forward as Nevadans and Americans.

In Service,
 
Jill Tolles
Assembly District 25

For Additional Reading:

U.S. election laws date back to Article 1 of the Constitution, giving states the responsibility of overseeing federal elections. Many Constitutional amendments & federal laws to protect voting rights have been passed since then. To learn more go to: https://usa.gov/voting-laws
 
Nevada Revised Statutes and Administrative Codes further clarify Voting Rights and procedures in Nevada. To learn more go to: https://nvsos.gov/sos/elections/election-resources/statutes-regulations

Election fraud is a federal crime. To learn more about what constitutes fraud and the role the FBI plays in protecting federal interests and preventing violations of your constitutional rights, go to: Election Crimes and Security — FBI

Voter intimidation, coercion, threats, and other tactics to suppress a person’s ability to vote constitute Civil Rights violations. To learn more, go to: Voting Section | CRT | Department of Justice

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has put together a useful website addressing election security rumors by describing common and generally applicable protective processes, security measures, and legal requirements designed to protect against or detect large-scale security issues related to election infrastructure and processes.  Rumor Control | CISA

NV elected officials swear an oath to support, protect and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States, and the Constitution and government of the State of Nevada. To see the oath, go to: NRS: CHAPTER 282 - OFFICIAL BONDS AND OATHS (state.nv.us)

Additional Community and State Resource Links:

For more information on Washoe County School District, click here.

For more information on the NV Department of Education, go here.

For the latest updates from the Nevada System of Higher Education, visit here.

The Legislative Counsel Bureau has put together a great resources page here.
 
To see the latest information, links and resources compiled by the Reno Tahoe Chamber of Commerce visit here.

For up to date information at the Nevada state level on COVID-19, please go to https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/.
 
For Washoe County Regional Information go to: https://covid19washoe.com/
 
To Learn more about How to Get Tested go to: https://covid19washoe.com/testing/