Eighteen months after ballots were cast, and one month after the resignation of NV Republican Chairwoman Sue Lowden, votes for Nevada delegates to the Republican National Convention have been examined and found intact. From Sparks dentist, Dr. Wayne Terhune:

Last week, Republican National Committeewoman Heidi Smith contacted my daughter, Jennifer.  Heidi obtained a key that she believed might be the key to the locked box containing the Congressional District #2 (CD 2) Republican National Convention delegate ballots from the Nevada State Republican Convention held on April 26th, 2008 at the Peppermill Hotel/Casino.

As you may recall, the counting of the ballots from CD 2 was never completed due to the premature and illegal closure of the State Convention.  When the Convention was shut down, the counting of the ballots was halted in midstream.  Following the orders of Party leadership, the CD 2 ballots were placed into a locked box at the Peppermill cashier's cage.  Previous attempts to retrieve those ballots (including prior to the State Convention continuation on June 28th, 2008) have been unsuccessful due to the complete uncooperation of party officials.

Since April 26th, the validity and even the existence of those ballots has been questioned.  As many of you know, the delegates from CD 2 were, in the end, appointed to the Republican National Convention by the national Republican leadership.

On Wednesday, October 21st, I was part of a group of concerned Republicans  who met with National Committeewoman Heidi Smith at the Peppermill to attempt to determine the fate of those legally cast ballots.  One of the original participants, October Pawlik, who was present when the ballots were originally locked away on April 26th, attended this investigation.

In box #99 at the Peppermill's cashier's cage, we found the ballots from CD 2.  The seals on the envelopes containing the ballots were unbroken.  Ms. Pawlik  stated that the envelopes containing the ballots, and all the contents of the locked box, appeared to be undisturbed since April 26th.  Again, the seals on  the envelopes (with signatures of the observers across the seals) were  unbroken.  We immediately placed the ballots into a different locked box at the Peppermill cashier's cage.  National Committeewoman Heidi Smith retained the key to that box.

Although the National Republican Convention is long over, we are determined to have these ballots counted.  We believe we have the obligation to determine the outcome of that vote, in the interests of justice, for the record, as well as for the health and unification of the Republican Party itself.

The ballot count is tentatively scheduled take place at the Washoe County Republican Party headquarters this Friday, October 30th, at 4:00 pm.  A limited number of volunteers are needed to count votes and to observe the vote count.

Since all delegates from Nevada voted with the herd in St. Paul, the ballot count is merely trivia, but an interesting bit of trivia nonetheless.