By james art 
Carrie-Ann Burgess, then interim Washoe County Registrar of Voters, stops by Sept. 20, 2024 in Reno while helping prepare the office for elections.
John Locher/AP
The top election official in one of the country’s most important political constituencies said on Wednesday that she had been forced out of her role just weeks before November’s presidential election, disputing an official statement that she had requested leave after experiencing “stress problems “.
The sudden departure of Carrie-Ann Burgess as Washoe County’s interim registrar of voters a month ago is the latest sign of turmoil in a county that has been rocked for four years by people pushing election conspiracy theories. Washoe is a county in a state where this year’s presidential race is expected to be close.
Burgess told The Associated Press in an interview that she refused personnel changes requested by the county manager’s office and offered to step down and return to her previous position as a deputy. She said she was told that was not possible.
In a meeting with county staff, including representatives from the district attorney’s office, Burgess said she was forced to submit a written request for leave despite her desire to stay.
“I feel like I was absolutely forced to leave, but I have no idea how we got here,” Burgess said in her first public remarks since leaving. “Because the previous Friday and Monday, before I was put on leave, I was getting high praise. They said, “You’re doing a great job, you’ve got this, you’re the best person for the job because you’ve put this team together.”
“And then all of a sudden I was on leave.”
Burgess said she has hired an attorney and is considering her legal options.
In a Sept. 27 statement, Washoe County spokeswoman Bethany Drysdale said Burgess “has been experiencing stress issues and has requested a medical leave of absence.” Washoe County Manager Eric Brown told commissioners during an Oct. 8 meeting that Burgess was on leave and that she had not been fired or quit.
George Guthrie, a spokesman for the county elections office, on Wednesday reiterated the county’s previous statement that Burgess had requested a leave of absence and that the county was committed to “conducting a smooth and fair election.”
Nevada is one of seven presidential battleground states that Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are hotly contesting ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election.
Washoe is the state’s second most populous county and is considered a front-runner because its elections are often close and its vote can sway statewide elections. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, has voted solidly Democratic in the last two presidential elections.
A deputy replacing Burgess is now the fifth person in four years to oversee elections in the politically mixed district. The staff has changed completely since the 2020 presidential election, Burgess said.
A spokeswoman for the Nevada Secretary of State’s office declined to comment on the situation.
Across the country, conspiracy theories and lies about the 2020 presidential election have created a difficult work environment for local election officials, who have faced harassment and even death threats. That prompted election officials across the country to prepare for what could be a tumultuous election, providing panic buttons for poll supervisors and installing bulletproof glass in their offices.
In Reno, county government meetings are often delayed by members of the public who opposed the hiring of Burgess as interim clerk in January and who want the county to count votes by hand because they don’t trust the voting equipment. They also want election staff to do more to combat voter fraud, even though there is no evidence of widespread fraud or tampered voting equipment in 2020 or beyond.
After the state primary earlier this year, the Republican majority of the county commission voted 3-2 against certifying the results. They later reversed course, but Burgess said the initial vote damaged morale among her election office team.
Commissioner Jeanne Herman, a Republican who has consistently voted against certifying election results since 2020, said the news of Burgess’ departure came as a surprise. Herman told the AP on Wednesday that GOP officials met with Burgess for two hours to discuss their concerns shortly before Burgess went on leave.
“They left thinking, ‘Great, our election might just turn out well,'” she said. “Then all of a sudden she disappeared.”
Burgess said the changes she requested from county administrators include assigning some election officials to a different department while keeping them working inside the office.
“I would have no say in what they do. And I said no to that,” she said.
She tried to return after being placed on leave with a doctor’s note indicating she was fine to work, but county officials refused and told her the situation would be reviewed after the presidential election. She said she was forced to use her sick pay and vacation pay and was told not to contact her staff or speak to reporters.
“I wanted to stay and help this team,” Burgess said. “They’ve done so much and done so many amazing things in the last year that…yeah, I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to help them but they said no.
Associated Press writer Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.