Nevada Independent: New Groups Aim to Restore Faith in Election System, Uphold Democracy

The Nevada Independent | June 25, 2024
Tabitha Mueller

In case you missed it, The Nevada Independent is out with a story profiling the launch of RightCount operations and leadership in Nevada. Republicans Bob List, a former governor of Nevada and State Senator Heidi Gansert, serve as the organizations state co-chairs.

“Two former Nevada governors and other top elected leaders have joined separate efforts to restore confidence in Nevada’s election system.

“…Republican Gov. Robert List and state Sen. Heidi Seevers Gansert (R-Reno) are co-leading RightCount Nevada, another new nonprofit engaged in battleground states that seeks to restore confidence in elections.

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“RightCount launched last week in Nevada alongside chapters in three other battleground states: Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin. In an interview with The Nevada Independent, List said the recently formed national organization approached him to bring a chapter to Nevada, which he thinks is necessary given that ‘there’s been a serious erosion in trust and confidence of the election process.’

“‘Our message is simply: You need to vote to participate,’ List said. ‘Our democracy depends upon it, and you as an individual have a responsibility to take part in that democracy, and you can trust that your vote will be counted.’

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“On its website, RightCount Nevada describes itself as an “educational organization” focused on affirming the security and integrity of elections, sharing information about policy changes and building trust among voters. Representatives of RightCount at the national level said in a statement that the nonprofit was founded in response to increasing threats against election officials and growing numbers of Republican and independent voters who express little to no confidence in the election system.

“Little information is available about the organization’s finances because the IRS granted it a 501(c)3 nonprofit status in late May, meaning it does not have to disclose its donors.

“RightCount representatives declined to identify any of their funding sources to The Nevada Independent but wrote in the statement that it had received donations from a ‘mix of nonprofits and individuals that align with our mission to help fortify and protect the rule of law in the tabulation of voting.’

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“Polling conducted on behalf of RightCount Nevada this year found that 38 percent of Republican voters and 32 percent of independent voters have little or no confidence that the 2024 elections in Nevada will be accurate in terms of ballot casting and counting. RightCount’s launch in Nevada was part of a coordinated rollout among the four states, with moderate and conservative Republicans in other states also publishing op-eds and videos within a similar timeframe.

“RightCount Nevada’s launch video featured various Republican voters, including an Army veteran, a retired firefighter and elected officials speaking about how Nevada’s election system is safe and secure.

‘‘It used to be, win or lose, we trust our elections,’ Seevers Gansert, who led Senate Republicans in 2023 but isn’t running for re-election, said in the video. ‘RightCount’s trying to get us back to that place.’

“List said that RightCount Nevada is primarily focused on reaching out to Republican voters. He said he believes that some of the doubts and misinformation around the state’s election process surround Nevada’s recent adoption of a largely all-mail voting system before the 2020 election.
‘There have been all kinds of lawsuits flying around, and those raise questions and doubts on the part of people and, in the end, we know that the system still works,’ List said.

“‘While there are slip ups here and there, from time to time, in a handful of situations, they’re never big enough to actually influence the outcome of an election.’

“Seevers Gansert told The Nevada Independent that voters have legitimate questions, and it’s important not to dismiss or ignore them. She said the group will work to illuminate and explain election processes, such as how mail ballots are safely stored, how election machines are not connected to the internet and how ballot tabulation takes place.

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“Turnout in the June primary election was 19 percent. List posited that the historically low turnout could be attributed to the state’s automatic voter registration system, which may have increased the number of registered voters but does not guarantee voter engagement, or to a lack of faith in the election system. The low turnout has also been attributed to the lack of competitive races in the primary at the top of the ticket, especially in Nevada’s U.S. Senate race, where Republican Sam Brown was considered the front-runner from day one, and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) had no serious competitors.

“List said RightCount Nevada will work with county clerks and registrars of voters to identify where there are questions and help communicate answers to the public, and that proof of their success will be seen in turnout on Election Day in November and increased trust in the election system.

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To learn more about RightCount’s operations in Nevada visit www.RightCountorg./nevada.