Election mistrust... how former Governor Brian Sandoval and former Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins are fighting it.

That's this week on Nevada Week.

♪♪♪ Support for Nevada Week is provided by Senator William H. Hernstadt.

-Welcome to Nevada Week.

I'm Amber Renee Dixon.

The Democracy Defense Project says its mission is to reestablish faith in the elections process.

Launched in June, the bipartisan effort includes former elected officials and leaders from Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

These are battleground states that the organization thinks challenges to federal elections could come from.

Here to explain how they're trying to prevent any unfounded challenges from the state of Nevada are former Republican Governor Brian Sandoval and former Democrat Speaker of the Assembly, Richard Perkins.

Thank you both for joining us.

-Amber, thank you for having us.

-You are co-chairs of the Nevada chapter of the Democracy Defense Project.

Let's first establish this: Where do each of you stand on whether the victory of President Joe Biden in 2020 was legitimate?

(Brian Sandoval) I'll start.

I feel that it was legitimate.

There's no reason not to believe that.

(Richard Perkins) I would agree with Governor Sandoval.

All of the challenges or accusations have been unproven, and so I believe it's legitimate as well.

-Yet, according to a recent poll that your organization commissioned, more than 1/3 of Nevadans think President Biden's win was illegitimate.

Are you interacting with these Nevadans?

-Yes.

I mean, we have conversations with Nevadans.

For me, it's really important to go to the source, talk to the Secretary of State, go to the voter registrar's offices in the respective large counties.

We've been to Washoe.

We'll be going to Clark today.

And, you know, I, you know, my view, they've done an incredible job, and we can have complete confidence in this upcoming election that starts Saturday.

-Mr. Perkins, what is the work that you're doing when you do go to Secretary of State, for example?

-Well, we observe and we learn.

They show us the processes that they go through, the concerns that the poll bore out, that the machines are connected to the internet or they're not tested or the ballots aren't under lock and key.

All those things are false.

And Nevada is really doing it right.

-When you have gone out and done this work and when you are talking to Nevadans, what are their reasons for the distrust?

You mentioned security of the actual ballots, of the machines being connected to the internet.

What's the top reason you hear?

-The machines are not connected to the internet.

-That's the concern.

-Yes.

-And you want to establish-- -I'll say this: I think a lot of times, people don't trust what they don't know.

And that's part of the responsibility and why I was excited and honored to be part of the Democracy Defense Project is to really go out and see for myself.

And as the Speaker talked about, the machines are not connected to the internet, so there are no-- there's no issue there.

The mail-in ballots are put under lock and key, so there's no issue there.

They've made a concerted effort to remove people who don't live in the state here anymore to be not issuing ballots to them.

So there are a lot of methodical security measures that are in place.

And at least in my conversations, when you tell people those things, they're like, it's that aha moment.

-And it's about misinformation or good information.

I think that's part of our role as well, is to impart what we're finding out and do the investigation and then provide our public with good information so they can have that trust in the elections.

-Have you each been able to change a voter's perspective on whether fraud exists in this process?

-I can tell you that I've had conversations with neighbors and citizens that live around me who had those concerns, and they were very taken aback by the actual information that the machines aren't connected and those sorts of things that we, you know, the Secretary of State purged over 150,000 voters from the rolls because they may not live here anymore.

Those sorts of things really change their ideas.

-And that would be the concern with those ballots going out to people who don't live here anymore and someone else getting their hands on them and then voting with it.

But even if they were to do that, what is the system in place to prevent that from working?

-No, they have a signature validation process that is very closely monitored, and there's an effort where you have people that review those signatures to make sure that that's the actual ballot.

But I want to back up and respond to your other question in terms of conversations.

You know, I have the privilege of serving as the president of the University of Nevada, Reno.

And we meet with students often, and there is a very strong, aggressive movement to get students registered to vote and then to have them vote.

But in conversations with them, these are the things that we can talk about is the ballot security and what's happening in our state.

And the Secretary of State actually came to our campus and had an open forum where we had a lot of students there asking some of the questions that you have raised.

And afterwards again, they're like, Oh, okay, this is great.

-What about Nevada politicians and those who work with them?

For example, the Nevada Republican Party is led by Michael McDonald, who is a fake elector who falsely pledged Nevada's electoral votes to Donald Trump after the 2020 election.

Have you reached out to him?

-I have not, no.

-Nor have I. I don't think it's our role to reach out to the state parties there.

They have a role to play, and they have a partisan role to play.

Ours right now is nonpartisan or bipartisan, if you will.

So it's, I don't think it would have served the greater good for us to do that.

-Really?

I mean, because if they change their perspective, if they are presented with the information you're giving them, might they go out and tell those who are following them?

-I mean, theoretically, yes, but I encourage them to do the same thing we're doing.

Go to the voter registrar's office, see for yourself the ballot security that they have and the methods.

The other thing, at least in Washoe County, and we'll see in Clark today.

I mean, there's constant surveillance.

There's key security.

There are all the, I mean, I felt good before I went in there, but after seeing it, I felt even better.

-It was impressive.

I come from a law enforcement background, and security is a big thing.

The transparency that they have as well.

And by the way, if-- when they validate signatures, it's a two-person bipartisan team--one Republican, one Democrat.

So there's no way for that to be impacted by the partisan activities of our two major parties.

-You could reach out to Michael McDonald and say, Hey, why don't you go take a tour?

Right?

-Sure.

I mean, there's no harm in that.

-But maybe, I mean, are you telling me that the Democracy Defense Project has kind of drawn a line in not reaching out to the politicians who are promoting these unfounded claims of election interference?

-No.

We've been singularly focused on seeing for ourselves, having the conversations with the Secretary of State, visiting the voter registrar's office, reviewing the laws in the state, and, again, it's our position, and this is why we're here today to have this conversation with you so that the viewers out there can hear how great the job our Secretary of State and our voter registrar's offices are doing.

-And I apologize if I left the impression that we would not communicate with them, but they have a role.

They have a partisan role, so some of their communications are filtered through that lens.

But yes, I think even this activity today is communicating to them, as well as Governor Sandoval said, we would encourage both major parties to go take these tours.

-Because you bring up the partisan role, I wonder, have either of you publicly endorsed a candidate for President, and will you?

-No and no.

-Okay.

-Yes, I have.

-You have?

I imagine that would be Kamala Harris.

-It is.

-Okay.

Why have you chosen to, and you have chosen not to?

-Well, in my position as president of the university, I don't take a partisan position.

-Makes sense.

Okay?

-I don't have those constraints.

And while I have supported candidates from both major parties, I chose to go down that road earlier this year.

-We'll go right into Ballot Question 7 then, because that goes into increasing confidence in the elections.

And so Ballot Question 7 will ask Nevadans whether voters here should have to show photo identification, government issued identification in order to vote.

There's bipartisan support for it in Nevada and across the country.

Where do each of you stand on that measure?

-Well, again, for me, I cannot take political positions in my position as president of the university.

-Okay.

-It's not as easy as the language in Question 7.

You have to drill down and ask all the questions.

I had-- I dealt with this the many, many years I spent in the legislature.

And there are folks who either don't have an ID, or, with the large number of immigrants that we have in Nevada, they are distrustful of government, so that ID becomes an impediment to them voting.

I also understand we want to make sure that only citizens vote and only people who are registered to vote, vote.

So it's a nonanswer, but that's the difficulty in Question 7.

-I imagine you are asked, Well, are illegal immigrants voting?

I hear that they're trying to.

I always hear this.

"They" are trying to get illegal immigrants to be able to vote.

How do you respond to that?

-I think it goes back to what we talked about before.

There are security measures in place to prevent that.

And I'm not aware-- I mean, there may be a couple of instances, but this isn't something that is pervasive in our state.

-We have hundreds of thousands of voters in the state; and when these allegations come up, they might identify as many as you can count on one hand.

That's not going to overturn an election.

-I don't know if I should ask this, but has the Democracy Defense Project reached out to either candidate for President?

-No, not that I'm aware of, at least not in Nevada.

-I'm not aware of that either.

-And they probably haven't reached out to you either.

-No.

-Okay.

Do you anticipate claims of voter fraud will happen after this election?

-Well, if history is any guide, absolutely.

I mean, it happens every cycle.

And then those allegations of voter fraud are oftentimes either dispelled completely or they'll find, like I said, you know, two or three that wouldn't have impacted the election.

-And to what extent do you expect those claims to be made?

-You know, I think it's going to happen, but that's part of the due diligence we're doing.

But it's also part of what the State has done through the Secretary of State's office, the voter registrar's office.

They are establishing this voter security, and if it's going to be tested, you know, that's, that's great.

But I think it'll come out the same way it has previously, where they'll show that the elections were done with integrity and trust.

-And I can't speak for Governor Sandoval, but both of us, I believe, you know, believe in the ability to seek resolution through the courts.

I mean, that's one of our rights.

But I think it's also important for us, and he's done it already, but to continue to throw out kudos to the registrars and the election workers who are just so dedicated, and the Secretary of State.

They've really done an amazing job.

-The poll that we talked about that you commissioned did show that this is an issue more among Republicans than it is among Democrats.

How do you speak to fellow Republicans about this?

And have you been, I guess, pushed to the side, maybe, or have you received any push back as a result of your stance that there was no fraud in the 2020 elections?

-I haven't been pushed aside.

-Obviously not.

-And that's part of this conversation we're having today.

And there's always going to be a segment that is not going to believe or is going to be distrustful, but I'm hoping, you know, for me, it's really important to go out and be able to give first-hand information based on my conversations, based on what I've seen, based on history.

I'm a former judge, you know, so I have big trust in the judicial system.

And everyone has a right to test, you know, whatever they want to test in terms of filing a lawsuit.

But to have-- if there is going to be those challenges, you know, I'm very confident in where the state and county stand.

-What was the moment when each of you realized, we got to do something about this lack of confidence?

-Yeah, I'm not sure I can pinpoint a moment, but it's-- the distrust in our elections has been growing for a few years, and it becomes scary.

Both of us having been in elected office, you know, having trust in your elections is really basic to our democracy, and we want more people to vote, not fewer people.

And the outcomes then need to be embraced.

So it's, it's grown over time.

And I would-- when the Democracy Defense Project reached out to me, it was-- and I did my due diligence to make sure it was an organization that was not leaning one way or the other.

It was really an honor to be asked.

-Was there a moment for you?

-Well, you know, this is something that I've been, you know, aware of since-- I mean, we served together in the '90s.

I mean, we've known each other since 1995.

And having served as the Attorney General of this state, having served as Governor of this state, I'm a true believer in our election integrity.

It's not a perfect system, but it's something that has worked well.

And now to have this opportunity to work with the Speaker to really demonstrate to the people of Nevada that when they walk in to their polling place and they cast their vote, they can feel good about that.

-I thought maybe one of you would say January 6 would have been that moment.

What did that date mean to each of you?

-Again, for me, you know, I've been, you know, had the fortune of being involved in public service in the state for a very long time.

And as the Speaker talked about, you know, I really love our state, and I want everyone to be proud of our state.

So for me, you know, again, this has been an ongoing responsibility, and I see this as an extension of that.

-Anything you want to add?

-I remember where I was at on January 6 and the horrible feeling I felt in the pit of my stomach, but it was an inflection point.

It wasn't really the tipping point for me to want to be involved.

We've both been involved in public service and wanting to increase the integrity of our elections for a long time.

-I thought this part from the Democracy Defense Project website was interesting, this quote: DDP intends to leverage both earned and paid media to launch a campaign aimed at exposing and countering attempts to subvert elections nationwide, promoting constructive dialog over divisive and threatening rhetoric.

Has this happened yet, this kind of campaign, this launch?

-We're doing it right now.

-Oh, this is it?

-Yes.

-Okay.

-These types of conversations.

And we've done interviews with other media outlets and had the very same conversation that, that we're having today.

-And whether it's this topic or any other, it's just combating the misinformation that's out there.

Social media is, can be good or bad, I guess.

But you know, having the ability to work with you, having this conversation now, and communicating with voters through these these media mediums are really powerful.

-For some reason, I was imagining commercials that were, say, that would be, you know, very bold and aggressive at pointing out any, any attempts to change people's confidence in the election system.

But you're-- it seems to be more of a-- what kind of approach would you say you're taking?

-An educational approach.

-Okay.

-Yeah.

-Okay.

-More grassroots than, you know, the grass tops.

But, yeah, this educational approach through you and others, I think, is very valuable.

-How specific do you have to be, though, in those, in that messaging?

Because, for example, former President Trump said on social media in September that the election will be, quote, under the closest professional scrutiny, and, when I win, those people that cheated will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Do you need to immediately respond to those claims?

I mean, he is implying that there are going to be cheaters.

-Well, I think that's speculation.

But I think scrutinize the system all you like, and that's part of, you know, why we're here.

We have been scrutinizing the system.

And, again, my takeaway is that we have an incredible system.

We have an incredible Secretary of State, we have wonderful people at our voter registrar's office.

They purchased the latest and greatest equipment to ensure election integrity.

That's what it's all about.

-And when we did those visits and tours, you know, I went in there with just some personal skepticism on-- because I wanted to ask the questions.

And we did ask a number of questions about, How does this work?

and How does that work?

and, you know, Are there safeguards in place?

And I came away from there very impressed.

And that's the only response, I think, that, you know, I could have for former President Trump is, let's look at the system.

-The voting machines, which is used in Nevada?

Dominion, right?

-I don't know if I know that off the top of my head.

-That has been under scrutiny.

However, Fox News went on to settle with Dominion because they had sued them for defamation.

And so to avoid a trial for that, Fox News settled.

So let's move on to how much more work do you do after the election.

Is that when you anticipate your efforts to really ramp up?

Do you change anything, or do you continue this kind of track?

-I mean, for me, we'll continue on this kind of track.

We'll see what happens.

I mean, this is-- early voting starts tomorrow.

As I said, there is going to be a lot of scrutiny from everyone.

And I think the more, as people continue to vote early and vote on election day, they'll feel good about it.

And there will be challenges.

I mean, I think we can anticipate that, but that's part of what's happening now in terms of the due diligence and ensuring election integrity.

-And Governor Sandoval is spot on.

I'm sure there's a conversation that will need to be had after November 5, because there will be some misinformation that's out there, some accusations.

And then we can talk about, just like we're talking with you today, about the systems that we've seen that give us great confidence in our election system here.

Nevada is just doing it right is the best message I could tell them.

-There may be some aspects that are out of your control, though.

For example, Washoe County, there was a recount of the June primary.

The county commission voted not to certify those results.

So the Secretary of State asked the State Supreme Court to say, Hey, you and all the other county commissions in the state, that's your duty to certify election results, and so please issue that kind of advisory.

The county commission went on to approve or to certify those election results.

And so then the Supreme Court said, Well, this is moot.

However, it's not the court's duty to issue advisory opinions like this.

So do you think the certification of elections is going to be an issue here in Nevada?

I mean, that could have established some precedent.

-I don't think so.

I think it was a teaching moment for everybody, you know, for the county commissions across the state.

-"A teaching moment," is that what you said?

-Yes.

-How so?

-Well, like said, that their job is to certify.

-Okay.

-There isn't discretion within that.

-Even though the State Supreme Court didn't come out and say that?

-Well, the State Supreme Court didn't say that, because the issue was moot.

And it is, you know, again, being a former judge, it is a time-honored requirement of the courts that to not speculate on a question that is not in front of them that's already been decided.

-The ACLU of Nevada said that Nevada could become a national focal point for certification issues come November.

Mr. Perkins?

-If something like that were to continue to occur, certainly.

But as Governor Sandoval mentioned, it was a teaching moment.

Now I think that all of our, all 17 counties commissions understand what their responsibilities are.

And it, it was kind of the tune up.

You know, that was the primary election.

It's a little smaller, fewer voters.

The-- as the registrar would tell you, the Super Bowl is coming on November the 5th.

That's their Super Bowl, and but they've now been, had this dialog and the teaching moment has occurred, and I think it sort of takes a lot of the wind out of those sails.

-Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining Nevada Week, and we look forward to having you back on after the election.

-Thank you.

-Early voting starts Saturday, October 19, and runs through Friday, November 1.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.

For information on registering to vote, go to vegaspbs.org/nevadaweek.

That's where you'll find several voter education videos that we made with the Secretary of State's office.

It's called the Hey, Nevada!

initiative, and it's helping Nevadans stay informed and create a voting plan.

We move now to Hispanic Heritage Month.

Even though it has officially come to a close, right here on Vegas PBS, you can continue to watch and stream programs and documentaries highlighting the arts, culture, and history of the Latino community.

Bienvenidos a Las Vegas host Maria Silva joins us in studio now.

And, Maria, one specific documentary is inspiring local musicians.

-Very exciting, Amber.

They do say that music is a universal language for a reason.

And I got to hang out with some talented Clark County School District students, music students, and I can tell you, blown away by their talent.

Can't wait for you to see the video.

Now, their inspiration, the VOCES documentary, Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends, which features former members of the Tito Puente Orchestra who are on a mission to keep this style of music alive for future generations.

Through a partnership with Latino Public Broadcasting, VOCES and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Vegas PBS, was asked to help get the word out, so we turned to the talented music students at Rex Bell Elementary School, Las Vegas Academy, and we also recruited an amazing 92 year old, you heard right, 92-year-old Vegas musician to help us out.

Generations uniting to make sure the music never ends.

Check it out.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ -My name is Joe Torres, "The Godfather of Latin Jazz."

I performed with Celia Cruz, Perez Prado, Nat King Cole, Dizzy Gillespie.

I'm hanging out with the Las Vegas Academy jazz band, and we're having a jam session.

Check out the new documentary "Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends."

-Join my jam session with my song "Soulcha."

♪♪♪ So I have a challenge for you young musicians: Let's hear your Mambo, your Latin jazz, your salsa.

We just want to make sure that the music never ends.

-And as you heard there from Mr. Torres, now it's your turn to join our Vegas PBS Latin jazz jam session.

Now, you don't have to be a CCSD student to join.

You don't have to be Latino.

We're inviting all of you, all you talented musicians, to join our jam session.

Head to vegaspbs.org/mambo for all of the details.

We will be sharing your performances on our Vegas PBS social media platforms.

And Amber, it was really just so special, again, to see Mr. Torres and to watch the LVA jazz musicians just sight read.

I learned a new term.

They actually just had Mr. Torres' song, and they hadn't practiced it.

They had it there for the very first time, and they performed it.

And his reaction was just priceless.

-Tell me, what was his reaction?

-Well, he was just so-- and I'll be doing more on that for Student Spotlight, but he was just like almost moved to tears.

Again, that's music that he hasn't heard musicians perform for decades.

And for them to actually be doing it in front of him, and the younger generation, and they were just getting into it.

And it was just really, really beautiful and a special moment to witness.

And again, music unites us.

-And a moment that we can see on Student Spotlight.

Maria Silva, thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-And thank you for watching.

For any of the resources discussed, go to vegaspbs.org/nevadaweek.

And I will see you next week on Nevada Week.

♪♪♪