NV SEC OF STATE BARBARA CEGASKE, PLEASE REVERSE MAIL-IN BALLOT DECISION

April 13, 2020

(R) Annie Black Masque City Councilwoman

The Nevada Secretary of State, Barbara K. Cegavske, has decided to conduct June’s primary elections via mail-in ballots.  This is wrong on at least two levels…

1.)  The authority to order this is based on a VERY liberal reading of an obscure provision in state law that allows counties to request that certain precincts be designated “mail-in” due their small size.

That law was NEVER intended to be used to justify mail-in balloting in EVERY precinct in the county.

2.)  Completely changing the entire electoral system in our state should not be made by one individual.  A decision of this magnitude should be authorized only by the 63 elected members of the Legislature with the concurrence of the governor.

And then there’s the increased risk of voter fraud for mail-in elections.

Make no mistake, the potential for election monkey-business is real, not matter how often the left and some in the media deny it.  In fact, the Heritage Foundation has produced an extensive report detailing examples of voter fraud from all 50 states.

Here are six examples from Nevada.  But remember…these are just of people who were caught and convicted.  The number of people who successfully get away with voter fraud every election cycle is certainly much, much higher.
* Renaldo Johnson of Las Vegas pleaded guilty to one felony offense for submitting a falsified petition.

* Tina Marie Parks pleaded guilty to one felony voter registration offense. She was initially charged with 11 felony offenses for having improperly completed others’ voter registration forms.

* Las Vegas resident, Biqui Diana Parra Rodriguez illegally obtained personal information of Mary Lou Aguirre and falsely registered to vote under her name. She was caught through the use of photo ID cards and facial recognition software that identified the two IDs she had obtained under different names.

* Hortencia Segura-Munoz, an illegal immigrant living in Washoe County, Nevada, registered to vote under a false name and cast ballots in the 2008 and 2010 Nevada elections.

* Roxanne Rubin, a casino worker in Las Vegas, was arrested after trying to vote twice.

* Amy Adele Busefink and Christopher Howell Edwards, two senior ACORN executives, were convicted of election fraud in connection with a voter registration scheme in which employees were paid a bonus to register voters.

Yes, vote fraud is real.  Yes, it happens in Nevada.  And yes, mail-in elections increase the danger of vote fraud.

Yet my opponent, Assemblyman Chris Edwards, has supported this mail-in election decision through his silence.  Not a peep of protest.  Radio silent.  AWOL.  As usual.

The voters of Assembly District 19 deserve and are entitled to a representative who isn’t missing in action, especially at a time like this on issues as critical as these.

It’s one thing to be an empty suit; it’s another to be the Invisible Man.

Seriously, where is Chris Edwards?  Has anyone seen him?  Heard from him?  Is he in a witness protection program?  Is it time to print up some of those milk cartons?

Come on, Chris.  At least hop on Zoom and face your constituents virtually and explain why you’re sitting on the sidelines and watching the world go by.