RENO, Nev. (AP) — The top election official in a key northern Nevada swing county is taking a stress-related leave of absence with just over a month to go before Election Day, creating a sense of uncertainty about election operations in a county that has been under near-constant attack since 2020.
The announcement regarding Washoe County interim Registrar of Voters Cari-Ann Burgess is the latest high-level change to roil the elections office. It might also be the most consequential departure spurred by the years-long campaign against election administrators sparked by unproven claims of voter fraud.
Burgess was the third registrar since 2020 in Washoe, which includes Reno and has become critical for any candidate piecing together a statewide win in Nevada, one of at least seven highly competitive states in November's presidential election.
“She experienced stress issues and requested medical leave,” Washoe County spokeswoman Bethany Drysdale said Friday, adding that she did not know if Burgess would return before the election.
Drysdale said there had been no documented threats against Burgess and the elections office, but she acknowledged the workplace was “a stressful environment” and that Burgess and the office had been targeted by negative comments. Drysdale didn't offer specifics.
A previous registrar resigned in 2022 after she received numerous threats and the replacement abruptly left a month before this year's presidential primary season, thrusting Burgess into the role in January. Burgess said Friday she had no immediate comment.
Burgess' duties will now be reassigned as the office prepares to send out mail ballots and gets ready for the start of early voting. Acknowledging that all eyes will be on Washoe County on election night, George Guthrie, a spokesperson for the registrar’s office, said they are prepared to process ballots from every active registered voter.
“We have to plan for record turnout. That’s what we’re expecting,” he said.
Election officials across the country have been bracing for a tumultuous election, installing panic buttons and bulletproof glass amid a spike in threats against those who count ballots. The Bipartisan Policy Center found a 38% increase in the turnover rate among election officials in a survey published earlier this year.
“This is continuing to drive people from the profession at the worst possible time,” said Tammy Patrick, program director for the National Association of Election Officials.
“The election officials I speak to are singularly focused on conducting the election, but people can only be pushed so far,” she said. “Everyone has a breaking point, and unfortunately there are some people who want to push the system to the brink.”
Washoe County includes Reno and is Nevada's second most populous, behind Clark County.
With Burgess on leave, the Nevada Secretary of State’s office is providing advice and assistance to Washoe County. It said in a statement Friday that it “fully supports” the county registrar's office but declined to elaborate on what it called "county personnel issues.”
Deputy Registrar Andrew McDonald has taken the administrative role in the meantime, Drysdale said, with staff and county administration stepping in to help.
“We will have a secure and safe and efficient election," she said.