Five Questions for Jordan Edens, Candidate for Carson City Clerk-Recorder
In March, all candidates for local and state positions filed their intention to run for office, in everything from the senate to the school board.
The 2022 Nevada Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 14.
Early Voting begins on Saturday, May 28 and runs through Friday, June 10.
The 2022 Nevada General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8.
Early voting begins on Saturday, October 22 and runs through Friday, November 4.
Each candidate will be asked five questions relating to their position as a part of the Five Question series from Carson Now.
Jordan Edens is running for Carson City Clerk-Recorder.
1) What do you believe is the greatest challenge currently facing the Clerk-Recorder’s office?
I believe that the greatest challenge currently facing the Clerk-Recorder’s office is the issue of election integrity. It’s become clear over the past few years that this has been one of the most discussed, controversial, and concerning issues of Americans all over the country regardless of party. I truly believe that whoever is elected as the Clerk-Recorder of Carson City has a great challenge ahead of them ensuring that elections are not only fair, but also secure and transparent to the citizens of Carson City.
2) How will you overcome that challenge?
I think this is a challenge with many layers. But I believe that it starts with transparency and being both open and honest with our citizens. There is a lot we can do as far as transparency and I’m open to attempting new ideas. For instance, the thought of livestreaming the vote count is one idea I’ve had in my head. People appreciate what they can see with their own eyes, and I think that would be a great leap in building trust with our citizens. Securing our polling locations and ballot boxes is another priority of mine as well. My goal is for Carson City is to set the standard for election integrity, security, and transparency in Nevada.
3) There are many duties involved in being the Carson City Clerk-Recorder, from document retention to notary bonds to elections. What is your experience in managing many different roles at once?
Honestly, almost every job I have had in my life has had many duties. I don’t imagine there are very many jobs or careers left in the world that have one central focus or role anymore. I have worn many hats in nearly all positions in my career. At Best Buy and Geek Squad I was responsible for repairing computers, sales, customer service, leadership, and training employees among many other duties. With the State of Nevada and the City of Carson City in my IT roles I have been responsible for supporting many different Departments and Divisions.
Working as a helpdesk technician, a desktop support technician, and having a role in some server and networking support. I have also been responsible for knowing the details of many different applications, services, and devices. I don’t believe that being in the Clerk-Recorder role would be less different or greater of a challenge. Don’t get me wrong I believe that no matter who is elected it is going to be a learning curve, and there are going to be significant shoes to fill, but I’m up for the challenge and willing to learn and master all facets and responsibilities of this role.
4) During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw necessary changes to the election process to keep people safe while still being able to vote, such as through the expansion of mail-in voting. How will you as Clerk-Recorder continue to promote the accessibility of elections to voters?
I believe that accessibility has been handled well by our current State Officials as far as mail in ballots and reaching voters which may have been hesitant to go to the polls during the pandemic. As far as reaching our voters, I want to make the effort to inform everyone in Carson City of the location and the options they have available to cast their vote.
However, my primary focus is going to be on election security and integrity. I believe that with the mail in ballot system there are still a lot of issues, and I would like to look into the system in greater detail to see if there are any options available to provide more safeguards. Such as signature upon receipt of delivery or secured mail. I believe small steps taken now will help prevent issues in the future and give our citizens more comfort in our electoral system.
5) Why are you running to become the next Carson City Clerk-Recorder?
I’m running to become the next Carson City Clerk-Recorder because I care about Carson City and the people. This is my home, and I am proud to call it that. I want to make a difference to the people of Carson City, and I will be someone they can rely on, that will listen to them, and that will stand by them. I like many others sometimes fear the direction we are heading as a country, and that is what inspired me to run for office. I am no politician, but I want to make a difference as someone who cares about and desires what is best for my community.