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North Las Vegas Councilman William Robinson speaks during a special meeting on Thursday, June 30, 2011, about a special election in one Ward 4 precinct scheduled to take place July 19, 2011. The city is holding a new election in Precinct 4306 because one invalid ballot was found in the race between Wade Wagner and incumbent Richard Cherchio that was decided by one vote on the June 7 general election.
By Aida Ahmed 
Thursday, June 30, 2011 | 8:07 p.m.
Archives
- North Las Vegas election stalled by court order (6-23-2011)
- NLV City Council meets to discuss special election (6-23-2011)
- Wagner sues North Las Vegas, tries to block new election (6-21-2011)
- New election ordered in NLV race separated by single vote (6-15-2011)
- Illegal ballot adds uncertainty to North Las Vegas council race (6-12-2011)
- NLV Councilman Richard Cherchio ousted by a single vote (6-7-2011)
- Unions target incumbent Richard Cherchio in NLV council race (5-28-2011)
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The North Las Vegas City Council voted Thursday to hold a special election on July 19 in one precinct to determine the winner of the Ward 4 council seat.
The decision came more than a month after the Clark County Elections Department discovered an illegal ballot cast in Precinct 4306 in the general election between incumbent Richard Cherchio and Wade Wagner.
Wagner won the election by a single vote, 1,830 to 1,831.
Former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon, who filed a lawsuit against the city last week that resulted in a temporary restraining to block a new election, was displeased with the council’s decision.
“They just landed themselves a long, drawn out process,” said Montandon. “They’re making decisions that cost them money, not me.”
But some residents of Precinct 4306, like Michele Hunter, believe the new election is necessary.
“We need to correct a wrong,” said Hunter. “It was unfortunate that it happened, but it did.”
Despite the council’s decision, Wagner said he is moving forward with his lawsuit against the city to block the special election.
“Ultimately a judge will make this decision, I’m sure,” Wagner said. “This disenfranchises all the other people that might not have voted in other precincts.”
Cherchio, who recused himself from the meeting, said he was happy with the council’s decision.
“Regardless of where you stand on it, there’s no way to track where that vote went,” Cherchio said. “I really think the only way you can resolve this is just to have a new election within that one precinct.”
Residents of Precinct 4306 should receive letters by July 5 informing them of the details of the new election.
It will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Sedway Middle School. Early voting will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 11 through 15 at the Clark County Election Center.
The city must receive requests for absentee ballots by July 12. The form can be downloaded from the city’s website.
The NRS is clear on this matter - a new election must be held. The City Council made the right decision in this instance by limiting the election to just this one precinct. This is the least expensive option and is the right thing to do. The Dentist can continue to press his case, but it only proves that he doesn't care about what's right for North Las Vegas. he just wants to run up the city's legal bills. I only hope the City goes after him for legal fees.
Wagne is going to loose because of all the garbage he stirred up about this election!!
The city council is wrong to do this. This is not a precinct issue it is a Ward 4 issue. It doesn't matter if the vote was cast in the smallest or the largest precinct in Ward 4. You cannot take a small group of people and determine the outcome of an election, especially when around 70% of the citizens in Ward 4 don't get the same opportunity.
The law is clear, Ken and his tax happy liberals don't want you to know that the law they keep bringing up doesn't apply to this circumstance. There was an election, no ballots were destroyed. The council needs to certify the election, canvass the votes, then either side can cry foul until they are blue int he face. This way the tax payers won't spend a dime, just as the NRS intended.
I'm OK with my tax dollars paying the legal fees fight against corruption. Cherchio could have done this the right way by encouraging his buddies on the council (which is everyone but the Mayor) to certify the election but that doesn't fit his plans to take over North Las Vegas. Instead he let his cronies vote for an illegal election that will cost us considerable more $$. Its fine though, it will be cheaper in the long run to pay the legal fees than to have Cherchio / Wood running the show.
@By No Big Gov't
Nonsense. I live in Ward 4, but in a different precinct. Sure, I feel terrible that I didn't get my cousin to vote, he was studying for the LSAT - but a new election is warranted.
Would you rather have Wagner claim victory by an illegal vote? Do you want Illegal Wagner in office? No!
The vote WAS illegal. What part of illegal don't you understand? If it was an illegal vote, does that mean you support Illegals? Do you?
Wagner got an illegal vote and people should NOT be supporting illegal votes.
Besides - Precinct 4306 will do the right thing. They wont vote for a dentist who supports signs that classify OUR COMMUNITY - North Las Vegas - as a haven for criminals.
Wagner and his supporters have been attacking the North Las Vegas community by putting up these boards telling criminals that North Las Vegas is a place for them to freely commit crimes because "our safety is no longer guaranteed." As if it was guaranteed before.
Simple - Does Ward 4 want Wagner a man who will classify our community as a criminal haven? Does Ward 4 want Wagner - a man who tells people they can't be protected? Does Ward 4 want Wagner - a guy who is willing to drag our North Las Vegas community through mud so that he can score political points?
Wagner is WRONG for North Las Vegas. He is WRONG for business in North Las Vegas. Precinct 4306 should Get Out The Vote and ensure Wagner the Criminal Loving Butler from having any say in our community.
Wagner has clearly demonstrated a reckless disregard for the interest of North Las Vegas and instead has put his friends ahead of our community. Wagner is bad for North Las Vegas. Just look at the signs across our neighborhoods. Wagner is begging for crime - he wants our community to be victimized to scare us into voting for him.
Shame on dentist Wagner.
Here is a better idea - don't elect either of them and fire the entire city council! This will save NLV the money needed to fund the police and fire departments and no one will notice any change in city operations!
Comment removed by moderator. Name-calling and language.
@unlv702
I hope you get to live with that on your conscious for the next 4 years that Wagner is in office.
Yes, if it follows the process laid out in Nevada statutes. No I want the council to do the job we elected them to do and let him take his seat legally. Too bad we'll have to let the courts explain this to you. Yes!
Yeah, I get that. It still doesn't stop them from certifying the election. Maybe you should have your cousin read all the statutes for you and explain what certifying the election means because it is clearly not registering with you. Woods definition tonight was flat out wrong.
? I like to run in circles too.
Last time I checked this isn't Precinct 4306's council seat, it is Ward 4... there is 20 other precincts that are getting the middle finger from the council. Voters are getting disenfranchised, anyone that doesn't get that is an idiot or a liar.
Um, just Wagners supporters, kind of like how you attack Wagner so Cherchio doesn't have to get his hands dirty... or are you Cherchio? Yeah, that must be it or the kool-aid he hands out is very strong.
So, everybody that voted in the General had their vote nullified? Cool. Here come the Teamsters, residents of 4306. Prepare for a real union blitz.
Looks like the next results will be decided by 5/8th's of a vote ! (I am betting that just a few hundred people will show up at the polls!
Wagner can kiss this election good bye. Like I said before, if there was one discrepancy in voting there had to be plenty more. Voting fraud in America is out of control and no one seems to care, expect when the person the government wants to win, doesn't.
Wagner said, "This disenfranchises all the other people that might not have voted in other precincts."
The public is aware of one precinct being disenfranchised and that's because of a vote that was cast fraudulently. Unless Wagner is aware of fraud being committed in other precincts besides the one in question I don't see how anyone else is being disenfranchised. The problem is reportedly isolated to a single precinct and those voters (and the candidates) have the right to a correct record.
@Byls1
No one is claiming the illegal vote was legal. Everyone agrees with this fact. You seem to have a problem with this fact. Not even your buddy Wagner makes the argument that the vote was not illegal. He acknowledges that the vote was illegal.
I guess you don't have a problem with a politician who acknowledges an illegal vote and argues that it is ok and therefore he should be certified as the winner, even though he won by one vote when it was determined that a vote was cast illegally.
Ironically, this guy is on the side of "law enforcement." Isn't that troubling?
@No-Big Gov't
You seem to have the same problem. You have a problem with facts. If the vote was illegal - why would you expect everyone else to accept someone as a "winner" if, as a matter of fact, there was illegal voting?
You people are so ideologically inclined that you are willing to ignore all facts, even advance illegal activity to put your guy in office. Shame on you and shame on Wagner.
Now you people turn your back on the very community you were asking to vote for you guys - by classifying this community as a haven for criminals - enticing criminals to commit crimes in North Las Vegas because "our safety can no longer be guaranteed." Shameful!
Wagner isn't here to serve North Las Vegas, he is here to serve himself and the few high paying bureaucrats he is supporting.
This is a non issue. The election in the ward was not done properly so it needs to be done again. If wagner wants to waste his money on a fradulent lawsuit let him.
All u people that say its going to cost too much money are morrrrrons. The one thing I am sure of is if he didn't win he shouldn't be in the office.
I am a conservative. I would normaly support Wagner and his party. This is just one of those cases where right is right. It needs to be re done.
Larry Lomax the Clark Registrar of Voters said that the expenses would be the responsibility of his Office since they made they mistake . No cost to NLV to Revote in precinct 4306.