The election is not official yet. Not until Friday.
The Clark County Commission and the city councils of Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas are all scheduled to certify the results of the Nov. 3 election on Friday, November 13, the Las Vegas Sun reported on November 11.
Four separate meetings. One job in each room. Sign the count and make it official.
Four Rooms, One Deadline on Friday
The counting part is finished. Under Nevada law, all mail ballots had to be counted by the seventh day after the election, which was November 10, and voters had until Monday, November 9, to cure ballots with signature problems.
Friday is the legal line. Nevada law requires the county canvass, the formal review and declaration of the results, to conclude by the 10th day following the election: November 13.
Here is the part most people miss. Certification is not a choice.
Nevada law treats canvassing and certification as a mandatory, nondiscretionary duty for election officials. The boards do not get to re-decide races on Friday. They declare the count that the process produced.
Once the county board acts, the county clerk certifies an abstract of the results and sends it, with a mechanized report, to the secretary of state, also by November 13.
The Race Friday Settles: Ward 2, by 136 Votes
No race in the valley shows why this step matters like Las Vegas City Council Ward 2.
Shannon Nordstrom leads Luke McCarthy by 136 votes, 16,459 to 16,323, in the tally reported Monday. McCarthy conceded, and Nordstrom declared victory in a Facebook post on Saturday.
In that post, she wrote that "our community deserves proven, common-sense leadership that always puts residents first."
The seat is open for a reason. Councilwoman Kara Kelley holds it now, appointed last fall to serve the remainder of former Councilwoman Victoria Seaman's term, and Kelley did not seek a full term.
On Friday, the city council certification turns that 136-vote lead into the official result.
What Happens After Friday, Step by Step
Friday is not the last step. It starts two clocks, and both are short.
- Recount window for local races: eligible parties can request a recount within three working days after county certification, by November 18. A recount must start within five days of the request and finish within five days of starting.
- State canvass on November 24: the secretary of state meets with at least a majority of the justices of the Nevada Supreme Court to canvass the vote for nonlocal races, including congressional races.
- Certificates of election: after that state canvass, the governor issues certificates of election to the winning candidates and proclamations declaring their election.
- Recount window for statewide races: requests are due within three working days after the state certification, by December 1.
So use Friday the right way. If you voted in a close race, Friday is the day your result stops being a projection and becomes the official record.
Check the certified numbers for your races after the meetings, and know the recount dates above if your race is one of the tight ones. The count is done. Friday makes it count.
