Clark County and the Cities of Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas Will Certify Nov. 3 Election Results Friday

What happened

The Clark County Commission and the city councils of Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas each plan to certify their results from the Nov. 3 election on Friday, Nov. 13, the Las Vegas Sun reported. Each body will finalize its own races. Those include a very close Las Vegas City Council contest and mayoral races in Henderson and North Las Vegas.

According to the Sun, state law requires all four bodies to finish by Friday, the 10th day after the election. Each has called a special meeting for that day. North Las Vegas goes first at 9 a.m., and Henderson goes last at 4 p.m.

The local races heading to certification

The figures below come from unofficial results the Nevada secretary of state's office posted at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, as reported by the Sun. They become official only after each body certifies them.

Las Vegas Ward 2

This was the closest local race, the Sun reported. Shannon Nordstrom appears to have won the seat over Luke McCarthy, 16,473 votes to 16,336. That is a 137-vote margin.

Henderson

Mayor Michelle Romero kept her seat in the unofficial count. She defeated former Police Chief Hollie Chadwick, 69,449 votes to 45,084, or 60.6% to 39.4%. Background on the contest is in our earlier look at the Henderson mayor race. In Ward 3, Jennifer Atlas unseated Councilwoman Carrie Cox, 14,985 votes to 10,331, or 59.2% to 40.8%.

North Las Vegas

Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno defeated Councilman Scott Black for mayor, 42,018 votes to 29,813, or 58.5% to 41.5%, according to the unofficial results. In the open Ward 1 seat, Esmeralda Villeda beat Sherry Strothers, 6,662 votes to 3,662, or 64.5% to 35.5%.

Why certification matters

A required step, not a judgment call

The Sun noted that these votes rarely involve suspense, because Nevada law makes certification a mandatory duty for local officials. The Clark County Commission voted unanimously to certify the 2022 and 2024 general elections on deadline day. About four dozen people spoke before the 2024 vote, and some said their ballots had not been counted.

The recount window opens

Certification starts the clock on recounts. According to the Sun, eligible parties have three working days after county certification to ask for one. If the county certifies Friday, that window would close Nov. 18.

The statewide canvass

The state finishes the process Nov. 24, the Sun reported. On that date, Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and a majority of the Nevada Supreme Court justices will canvass statewide, congressional and multicounty races. The governor then issues certificates of election.

In the governor's race, Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, defeated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who conceded Nov. 4. More analysis of how that race played out is in our story on how young voters helped Ford, and further coverage is in our elections section.

Friday meeting schedule

• 9 a.m.: North Las Vegas City Council, Council Chambers, City Hall, 2250 Las Vegas Blvd. North.
• 10 a.m.: Las Vegas City Council, Council Chambers, second floor of City Hall, 495 S. Main St. The meeting will stream live on City of Las Vegas TV and the city's YouTube channel.
• 1 p.m.: Clark County Commission, Commission Chambers, Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Pkwy. The meeting will be shown on Clark County Television Channel 4 and the county's YouTube channel.
• 4 p.m.: Henderson City Council, Council Chambers, City Hall, 240 S. Water St.

What to watch next

• Certification votes by all four bodies on Friday, Nov. 13, which is the state-law deadline.
• Whether anyone requests a recount, especially in the 137-vote Las Vegas Ward 2 race, before the window closes Nov. 18 if the county certifies Friday.
• The statewide canvass on Nov. 24 by Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and the Nevada Supreme Court justices, after which the governor issues certificates of election.