NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- One vote could change the winner of last Tuesday's Ward 4 council seat in North Las Vegas. Richard Cherchio lost to Wade Wagner by a single vote that Clark County election officials now call a "mistake" by a poll worker.
It happened with a change of address card. On election day, a poll worker allowed a man to fill out the form and vote in Ward 4 race under his new address instead of Ward 3 which was his old address.
"That's not illegal, it's a mistake. The voter didn't intentionally do anything wrong and the poll worker didn't intentionally do anything wrong; human beings make mistakes unfortunately this mistake was made in a race decided by one vote," said Larry Lomax, Clark County Election Department.
He started working for the election department in 1998 and says it's very rare for a voter to cast their ballot at the wrong polling place.
"A voter who was registered in North Las Vegas Ward 3 moved into Ward 4, he showed up at a Ward 4 polling place with identification showing his new address. He showed it to a worker at the polling place and contrary to Nevada Law was allowed to vote at that polling place," said Lomax.
North Las Vegas Councilman Richard Cherchio lost the election by one vote to dentist Wade Wagner.
When you cast a ballot, Lomax says your name is in a roster book for your precinct. A name can't be added to the book unless it's approved by the election department but that's exactly what happened.
"I've talked to the individual who did it. That individual is very sorry for what happened," said Lomax.
It's an mistake that could change the results of the race. Because Cherchio is already a North Las Vegas councilman, the city says it's getting third party legal advice from Nevada's former chief elections officer, Matt Griffin.
"This was the only hiccup in this election," said Lomax.
As far as the candidates go, 8 News NOW spoke with Cherchio's campaign manager and Wagner by phone. Both say their attorneys are advising them not to comment right now. This item is on the agenda at the regular North Las Vegas council meeting Wednesday.
