Marsy Kupfersmith, the advocate for seniors who tried to run for the Washoe Board of County Commissioners, will not appear on the ballot in November. She tried to run as a nonpartisan against appointed incumbent Clara Andriola, and as part of the process, she gathered the required number of signatures to get on the ballot.
However, the Washoe County Registrar of Voters determined that Kupfersmith’s gathered signatures were invalid. The registrar, Kari Ann Burgess, refused to tell Kupfersmith what was wrong. Kumpfersmith sued, and the county officials only addressed Kupfersmith’s concerns in court. District Court Judge Kathleen Drakulich ruled that the Secretary of State had to review Kupfersmith’s appeal, not the district court.
Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar agreed with Burgess on Aug. 7 that Kupfersmith’s signatures were invalid. His office found even more invalid signatures. Kupfersmith filed her appeal on July 1, and the SOS took more than a month to decide on her case.
“Every time, it’s a different number. At this point, it is so pathetic you have to laugh,” she said. “I wouldn’t have time to appeal now even if I wanted to. I lost the whole month of July and the first seven days of August. It’s not worth it at this point.”
She said she is returning to advocating for seniors and housing.
“Am I disappointed? Yes. Am I disgusted? Yes,” she told This Is Reno. “I don’t think I can ever do this again.”
