Nevada: Attorney General’s office to appeal Nevada special election ruling | ReviewJournal.com

Update: Appeal Filed In Special Election – My News 4 – KRNV, Reno, NV

The Republican Party would suffer irreparable harm if an unlimited number of candidates were allowed to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat left vacant by Dean Heller’s move to the Senate. So stated Carson City District Judge [James] Todd Russell in a written ruling released Monday. He announced his decision Friday.

Russell was critical of Secretary of State Ross Miller’s attorneys who argued for a “free-for-all” special election, saying reliance upon a single sentence contained in an entire law “produces an unreasonable and absurd result.”

Nevada: Judge calls Nevada Secretary of State’s legal reasoning for special election rules “absurd” | The Republic

The legal reasoning used by the state’s top election official to determine how candidates will be chosen for a special election to fill Nevada’s vacant U.S. House seat was “unreasonable and absurd,” a state judge said Monday.

The 12-page written order released by Carson District Judge James [Todd] Russell codifies his verbal bench ruling last week and sets the stage for an appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Secretary of State Ross Miller said the Sept. 13 special election would be an open contest, with the 2nd Congressional District seat going to the candidate who gets the most votes.

Nevada: Supreme Court will expedite appeal of ruling on Nevada special election | ReviewJournal.com

The Nevada Supreme Court will quickly hear Secretary of State Ross Miller’s planned appeal of a judge’s decision to let political parties pick U.S. House nominees for a Sept. 13 special election, a court spokesman said Friday.

As expected, Miller on Friday asked the attorney general to file the appeal. He also postponed the candidate filing period, which had been scheduled for Monday through Wednesday in Carson City.

Editorials: Steve Sebelius: A bad ruling on Nevada special House election | ReviewJournal.com

Simply put, Carson City District Judge James Todd Russell is flat wrong about the special election for the 2nd Congressional District. Which is why it’s a good thing that Secretary of State Ross Miller announced late Friday he would appeal this wrongheaded ruling to the state Supreme Court.

In the meantime, candidate filings schedule for next week will be postponed while the appeal is prepared.

Some background: After Rep. Dean Heller was appointed to John Ensign’s Senate seat, a special election was called to replace Heller in the House of Representatives. Miller issued regulations for that special election — a first in Nevada history — based on a 2003 statute that appears to allow a wide-open, anybody-can-run, no-primary, winner-takes-all election. The Nevada Republican Party sued, claiming political parties should nominate candidates for the special election.

Nevada: Strong early voter turnout in Las Vegas attributed to mayor race – KTNV ABC,Channel 13

Early voting kicked off Saturday for city elections, and turnout appears to be strong. The big draw, of course, is the Las Vegas mayor’s race, which is pitting two women against each other for the city’s top job.

It represents a turning point for Las Vegas, ending Oscar Goodman’s twelve year reign as mayor.Voter turnout is the key for candidates, Carolyn Goodman and Chris Giunchigliani, who are wrangling their way to the finish line.

Nevada: Judge overturns decision on open special election – News – ReviewJournal.com

It looks as if the Sept. 13 special election to replace former GOP Rep. Dean Heller won’t be the flash mob of candidates that Republicans had feared.

In a decision that stunned the Democratic Party and buoyed the GOP, a district judge Thursday overruled Secretary of State Ross Miller’s May 5 decision to allow any qualified major party candidate to run in a free-for-all U.S. House race.

Instead, Judge James Todd Russell enjoined the secretary of state from moving ahead. And he gave the political parties until June 30 to nominate just one candidate each, the ruling the Republican Party sought in a lawsuit filed against Miller.

Nevada: Nevada Campaign Finance And Election Reform Bills Win Approval In Assembly By Deadline | Nevada News Bureau

Two bills that would close loopholes and increase transparency in Nevada’s election and campaign finance laws won approval in the Assembly today with no time to spare. Secretary of State Ross Miller is seeking the bills restricting the use of multiple political action committees to bypass campaign contribution limits and requiring electronic filing of campaign contribution and expense reports by most candidates.

Today was the deadline for the bills to win Assembly approval or see no further consideration in the 2011 legislative session. They will now be considered by the Senate.