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Board appoints Andrew McDonald as Washoe County registrar of voters in 3–2 vote after contested hiring process
Summary
After a contested recruitment process and public criticism about transparency, the Washoe County Board of County Commissioners approved County Manager Eric Brown’s recommendation to appoint Andrew McDonald as registrar of voters, 3–2. Vice Chair Jean Herman and Commissioner Mike Clark voted no.
The Washoe County Board of County Commissioners voted 3–2 on Tuesday to appoint Andrew McDonald as the county’s registrar of voters, confirming County Manager Eric Brown’s selection after a contested recruitment process and public concerns about transparency.
County Manager Brown presented his recommendation and Human Resources staff described the recruitment: 36 candidates applied, five met minimum qualifications, a first‑round panel recommended three finalists and one finalist ultimately was selected by a final interview panel that included the county manager and one commissioner on behalf of the board. Julie Pahulke of Human Resources said the selected candidates met minimum qualifications and that the process followed the board’s department‑head recruitment policy. Human Resources said background checks and other pre‑employment steps were completed per policy.
During public comment, speakers raised concerns about the presumptive appointee’s experience in election administration and urged more community input. Several public commenters asked for an advisory review or broader public process because the post oversees the county’s elections. County legal staff (District Attorney Nathan Edwards) said personnel and pending‑litigation constraints limited the county’s ability to comment on some aspects of the earlier staffing and litigation questions raised by public speakers.
Commissioner Claire Andreola and Commissioner Marlise Garcia supported the appointment; Vice Chair Jean Herman and Commissioner Mike Clark opposed it, citing concerns about the panel process and a desire for a different hiring approach. The board’s motion to appoint Andrew McDonald authorized the county clerk to certify the appointment to the Nevada Secretary of State as required by NRS 244.164. The position’s annual salary was recorded on the agenda as $175,240.
Why this matters: the registrar of voters heads election administration for Washoe County. The appointment comes amid scrutiny of recent election operations and litigation relating to past election administration; commissioners emphasized the need for a leader with operational and legal familiarity with election law.
What’s next: the county clerk was directed to certify the appointment to the state within 10 days. Human Resources and the county manager said they will provide onboarding and a public briefing by the new registrar in a future meeting.
