Close congressional race could lead to recount

The close congressional primary race between Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller and Reno Assemblywoman Sharron Angle has generated more than speculation that Angle may seek a recount.

It generated an inquiry to the Douglas County Clerk/Treasuer's Office from the Angle campaign.

Barbara Griffin-Reed, Douglas County's top election official, said she received a phone call from someone in the Angle campaign researching the possibility of a recount.

Angle defeated Heller in Douglas County by seven votes, but Heller won the race for the Second Congressional District by 428 votes or just over half a percentage point.

The district encompasses all 17 Nevada counties, including a portion of Clark. Angle won in Washoe and Elko counties, but ran into trouble in Carson City and more rural Nevada counties.

Griffin-Reed said that all the counties must canvass the vote before any recount can be considered. Douglas County commissioners will canvass, or certify, the election at a special meeting on Monday. All counties must have the election certified by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

After that, state law gives candidates three days or until 5 p.m. Aug. 25 to file a formal challenge.

According to Griffin-Reed, her office will then have five days to recount ballots from three precincts. Unless there is a difference, the election results will stand.

Griffin-Reed said it will cost $10,000-$12,000 to do a recount in Douglas County. At that rate, a recount in all 17 counties could cost more than $200,000, a cost which must be borne by the candidate challenging the race.

The last time the Douglas Clerk's Office conducted a recount was for the Ensign-Reid election for U.S. Senate in 1998.

Griffin-Reed said she felt the chances of the election being overturned in a recount are slim.

"With the new technology, there would have to be a lot of provisional ballots out there that would make a difference in my opinion," she said. "Some county would have to have a problem with absentee ballots. I don't see there being any errors on our touch screens."

Reed said that moving the primary to Aug. 15 will help if there is a recount.

"If we had a general election breathing down our necks, there might be panic," she said.