Election official in Reno, Nevada tells AP she was forced out before 2024 election

The top election official in a key swing county in Nevada told the Associated Press Wednesday that she was forced out of her job just weeks before the presidential election.

Her comments are just the latest election-related dustup in the Reno-area county where right-wing activists who dispute election results have mounted a yearslong pressure campaign focused on the workers who run elections and officials who certify them.

Cari-Ann Burgess, who served as the interim voter registrar for Washoe County took a stress-releated leave of absence starting in September, a county spokesperson previously told the USA TODAY Network.

But she told the Associated Press she had a conflict with the county manager and offered to return to her previously held position as deputy registrar, but instead was forced to make a written request for a leave of absence. Contact information for Burgess was not immediately available.

“I feel like I was absolutely forced out, but I have no idea how we got to this point,” Burgess told the Associated Press. “Because the previous Friday and Monday, before I was put on leave, I was having high praises."

In a statement, the registrar's office declined to comment: "This is an ongoing personnel matter. Washoe County is currently focused on conducting a smooth and fair election.  Therefore, Washoe County has no further comment at this time.”

Election tension in a crucial county

Voters in Washoe County, the second largest county in Nevada, are roughly evenly split among Republicans, Democrats and independents, and, alongside Clark County around Las Vegas, will determine which presidential candidate gets the state's six electoral votes.

Burgess was the second person in the job this year. Her predecessor lasted less than two years in the job. The person in the position in 2020 left after experiencing stress and harassment.

Members of the public regularly show up to meetings of the Washoe County Board of Commissioners and spend hours criticizing the commissioners and alleging fraud in election processes. In July, the board voted not to certify a local election recount, prompting the state to sue the county. The board quickly reversed course.

Washoe County Commissioner Mike Clark, a Republican, has been one of the loudest critics of the registrar's office. He said Burgess' absence demands further examination, especially given the "very poor timing" just weeks before the election.

“I believe her statements until proven otherwise, and I think there needs to be major investigation," said Clark, who has raised numerous concerns about voting issues within the registrar's office. He also said he has "no confidence in the county manager's ongoing ability to run elections."

Alexis Hill, the Democratic chair of the Board of Commissioners, declined to comment on Burgess, citing it as a personnel issue.

"It's going to be a great election," she said. "We're doing everything we can to make sure that it's going to be well managed and free and fair."

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Contributing: Mark Robison, Reno-Gazette Journal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nevada election official tells AP she was forced out of her job