Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske ordered Nye County’s hand count of ballots to cease immediately late Thursday night just hours after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled the county’s process violated state law. Cegavske’s order also prohibits any alternative hand counting process from beginning until the county and the Secretary can agree on its feasibility under state law.

On October 17, the ACLU of Nevada filed an emergency petition to the court arguing, among other issues, that the “plan to announce from each ballot the candidate selected from each race, in the presence of the public,” violated state law. On October 25, the court ruled in favor of the ACLU of Nevada. The opinion required that all observers ensure the public does not prematurely learn election results. It also ordered that the live-stream of the hand count not begin until after November 8. The hand count of ballots began on October 26.

After the first day of counting, ACLU of Nevada’s executive director Athar Haseebullah labeled the process “a disaster.” After the second day of counting, the organization filed an emergency order for clarification with Nevada’s Supreme Court asking the court to consider whether the modified hand count process being administered still violated state law. The court ruled it did. 

The Nye County Board of Commissioners voted in March to approve the hand count. Commissioner Debra Strickland, who raised the issue, cited concerns about election integrity in the population of the rural county. In August, the Board appointed Mark Kampf as Interim County Clerk. Kampf, who is in charge of administrating the hand count, has promoted conspiracies about voting machines. Kampf gained the support of the Board after Jim Merchant, the Republican Nominee for Secretary of State, spoke out in support.