Local Election Officials Join Others Under Threat in our Culture Wars

News came this week compliments of the important reporting being done by Mark Robison at the Reno Gazette-Journal that Washoe County Registrar of Voters Deanna Spikula, our top election official during the past two election cycles, is on leave after facing mounting threats, and being accused of “treason” in public meetings.

No dates were given for the start of her leave or her possible return, putting people below her in the county’s hierarchy now in charge.

Other election officials have been quitting in droves in our region and across the country, facing an onslaught of accusations repeatedly rejected by state bodies and courts. These hard working employees join teachers, education boards, journalists and others on the front lines of our current “culture wars” facing the wrath of a diminishing but rabid segment of our population.

Not standing up to them can set a dangerous precedent. As we mentioned in a tweet we have faced our own deluge of threats via emails and social media messages following some of our own recent reporting. It was gratifying to see the support from other community members concerning our own street collective reporting mission, which includes alerts to possible dangers, and identifying the presence of hate-filled candidates, officials, businesses and activists in our midst.

Beyond social media posts on our TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and Twitter, our own reporting this week included:

>Starting a new series on the Last Motel Residents of Reno: https://www.ourtownreno.com/our-stories-1/2022/4/5/the-last-motel-residents-of-reno-shawn-losing-his-job-during-pandemic

>A Podcast Interview with a Ukrainian in Reno Trying to Help Her Country and Family from Afar: https://ourtownreno.simplecast.com/episodes/a-ukrainian-in-reno-dealing-with-the-horrors-of-the-war-from-afar

>Community Concerns about a Candidate for County Clerk: https://www.ourtownreno.com/our-citizens-forum/2022/4/8/county-clerk-candidacy-sparks-renewed-concerns

>A Feature with Audio about a Local Youth Spoken Word Poet: https://www.ourtownreno.com/keeping-reno-rad/2022/3/30/noelia-calvillo-an-empath-spoken-word-poet-writing-about-inflictions

>A Reno Book Review about the Mob in the Biggest Little City: https://www.ourtownreno.com/recommended-reads/2022/4/4/mob-city-reno-by-al-w-moe