Article Summary –
Cindy Elgan, an election administrator and Republican in Nevada’s Esmeralda County, has faced a recall petition driven by local Republican leader Mary Jane Zakas, who supports conspiracy theories about rigged voting systems. Despite Elgan’s attempts to educate her constituents about election processes and safeguards, she is accused of being part of a “deep state” that manipulated the 2020 election outcome. Elgan’s case is indicative of a broader trend in Nevada, where many election officials have resigned or been replaced by election deniers since 2020.
Election Administrator Faces Recall Effort Due to Conspiracy Theories
When 65-year-old Cindy Elgan, an election administrator in Esmeralda County, Nevada, saw a sheriff’s deputy waiting in her office lobby, she braced herself for another challenge to the electoral process. Elgan had become accustomed to skepticism, conspiracy theories, and threats related to her job. Mary Jane Zakas, a 77-year-old schoolteacher and local Republican Party leader, was the woman accompanying the deputy.
Zakas presented Elgan with a recall petition, a document signed by voters seeking to remove Elgan from office. The reason stated was that Elgan had allegedly interfered in the elections. It had been over two decades since the county’s last successful recall.
Elgan’s fear of such an outcome had intensified since former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Trump’s denials and distortions had spread to even the most remote areas like Esmeralda County, where Trump won with 82% of the vote. Following the election, some residents began echoing Trump’s claims and expressed suspicion about the election results.
The residents made unfounded accusations of election theft, blaming everything from voting software designed in Venezuela to election machines made in China. They also blamed Elgan, even though she had served as the clerk without controversy for two decades as an elected Republican. They accused her of being paid off by Dominion and stealing votes from Trump, and they called for her to be recalled from office before the next presidential election.
Elgan continued to refute these allegations by citing election laws and facts. The recall petition was signed by at least 130 voters, enough to force a recall election if the signatures and addresses were verified. Nevada law allows 20 days for voters to reconsider and remove their names from the petition. After that period, Elgan’s office would work with the secretary of state to confirm signatures and determine if the recall was successful.
However, Elgan and her deputy clerk, Angela Jewell, were dismayed by the extent of denial about the presidential election. Elgan was particularly hurt to see names she recognized as friends on the petition, including her next-door neighbor, the county sheriff, and Mary Jane Zakas, who had been a guest at Elgan’s Thanksgiving dinners in the past.
Meanwhile, Zakas continued to push for the recall, visiting hundreds of voters to gather signatures. She had become convinced that voting machines could be hacked, and she continued to listen to Trump as his election denialism intensified. Zakas also believed in many other conspiracy theories circulating on far-right media platforms online. Her beliefs included assertions that Covid-19 was created by the federal government to manipulate elections, that Trump had been anointed to lead a cleansing of the government, and that Trump’s election in 2024 was preordained by God.
Despite the allegations and the petition, Elgan remained committed to her job. She introduced updates to the county’s Dominion system to reassure voters about the accuracy of the voting process, agreeing to multiple recounts when asked. However, Elgan also acknowledged the toll the process was taking on her, mentioning thoughts of retirement and moving to California.
The recall effort against Elgan ultimately fell short due to issues with the signatures on the petition. However, Mary Jane Zakas vowed to continue her efforts to dismantle a process she didn’t trust.
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