VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. - Six Republicans in Nevada, including Jim Hindle, who will oversee elections in rural Storey County next year, pleaded not guilty to charges of submitting false paperwork claiming Donald Trump had won the state in the 2020 election. This comes as a rising trend of fake electors retaining influence over elections unfolds in battleground states heading into the 2024 elections.

Hindle, who recently replaced the interim clerk, assured everyone gathered in the commission chambers that he would learn how to oversee elections in Storey County. However, his indictment raises concerns about his role as a county election official. Hindle and the other indicted Republicans reportedly coordinated with Trump's team directly, according to transcripts from testimony before the U.S. House committee investigating the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

Despite the charges carrying potential prison sentences of up to nine years, Hindle remains committed to running local elections. Similar situations are occurring in other battleground states like Wisconsin, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

In Wisconsin, Bob Spindell, a fake elector, continues to serve on the state's bipartisan election commission despite calls for his removal by Democrats. The settlement reached this month acknowledged that the actions of Spindell and other fake electors were an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Arizona has Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, both fake electors, serving as Republican legislators with influential roles. Hoffman, as the Chairman of the Senate Elections Committee, holds significant power over election-related legislation in the swing state. Meanwhile, Kern leads the Judiciary Committee. The Arizona attorney general is currently investigating the involvement of fake electors in the state, although no charges have been filed yet.

Pennsylvania's fake electors, including Sam DeMarco, a member of the three-member election board in Allegheny County, faced FBI interviews but have not faced legal consequences. They qualified their electoral votes as "conditional" in case Trump prevailed in court. Michigan, on the other hand, saw an example of a fake elector losing influence with the Michigan Bureau of Elections barring Shelby Township Clerk Stan Grot from running any elections due to criminal charges.

Despite the presence of fake electors in key election roles, Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, highlights that state and federal courts, along with state election officials, can provide checks on their authority.

In Storey County, Nevada, Hindle's influence extends beyond the county line. He, along with two other fake electors, participates in the state GOP's organization of a party-run caucus scheduled just days after the state-run presidential primary. The Nevada GOP has faced criticism for confusing voters with the two elections and adopting rules perceived to favor Trump over other Republican candidates.

The Nevada Republican chairman, Michael McDonald, who is also one of the indicted fake electors, defended the party's decision to bypass the primary, citing the Democratic-controlled Legislature's failure to consider Republican proposals for voter ID requirements and other measures.

At a Trump rally in Reno, several of Nevada's fake electors attended, with McDonald introducing the former president and expressing his support for Trump at the party-run caucus. Trump, while thanking the fake electors, did not mention the specific charges they face.

As the 2024 elections approach, concerns continue to grow regarding the presence of fake electors involved in key election roles across battleground states. The impact of these indictments on elections and the potential consequences for those involved remain uncertain.