Secretary of State Sues Washoe County Commissioners to Force Certification of Contested Election Results Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar has filed a petition with the Nevada Supreme Court against Washoe County Commissioners Clara Andriola, Mike Clark and Jeanne Herman in a legal maneuver called Writ of Mandamus. The Writ is a legal order from a higher court to a lower government official ordering them to fulfill their official duties or make a correction. If successful the order will force the majority voting Commissioners, who happen to be Republican, to vote the same as the Democrat Commissioners who voted in the minority and certify the disputed June primary recount results. Secretary of State Aguilar is also a Democrat. Commissioner Andriola who was the swing vote to not certify the election results has apparently been pressured to step in line. She has now requested the matter to be placed back on the agenda at the next County meeting July 16th. Election advocates and detractors alike point to the new developments and legal maneuvers as further evidence something is wrong. Many are asking why the State is moving so quickly to certify the election results rather than investigate any discrepancies as requested by voters and candidates. During a previous meeting even Andriola herself acknowledged “issues” with the election. According to the Department of Justice, “Courts have no authority to grant relief in the nature of mandamus if the plaintiff has an adequate legal remedy aside from mandamus, such as a suit for monetary judgment or the opportunity to raise the legal issues involved in a suit brought by the government.” It also states, “The power of a district court to compel official action by mandatory order is limited to the enforcement of nondiscretionary, plainly defined, and purely ministerial duties.” In this case Washoe County’s “adequate legal remedy” would be to investigate the results and have a recount, therefore negating the necessity of a Mandamus order. Do you have trust in the current system and government officials or should the ballots be recounted by hand as requested?