Candidate for Family Court judge ordered removed from ballot

The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that Amber Candelaria be removed from the general‑election ballot for Clark County Family Court, effectively leaving incumbent Judge Michele “Shell” Mercer unopposed for the Department Z seat. The decision stems from the court’s Aug. 14 ruling that disqualified Candelaria after she filed her candidacy by email rather than by the statutorily prescribed methods—submitting notarized documents by mail, in person, or through a remote filing system. Mercer had challenged Candelaria’s filing in District Court; after the trial court denied her challenge, she appealed to the high court. Following the appeal, the Supreme Court issued a directive on Thursday instructing the Clark County Registrar of Voters not to place Candelaria’s name on the Nov. 3 ballot for the Department Z Family Court contest. As a result, Mercer will appear as the sole candidate. Candelaria expressed disappointment, stating, “The existing reason why I had been moving in this particular spot was to give voters a choice. Now, because I will no longer appear on the ballot, the existing sitting Judge Mercer essentially is defaulted into another six‑year term without the voters having the opportunity to have any say.” She told the court that a filing clerk in the Clark County Election Department had advised her to submit the paperwork via email and later confirmed acceptance of her filing. Chief Justice Douglas W. Herndon, the lone dissenter, endorsed that contention, writing in his dissent, “I believe the majority again excuses an egregious mistake by state actors that may result in a usurpation of fundamental fairness.” Mercer did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. In the Las Vegas Review‑Journal’s 2025 Judicial Performance Evaluation, Mercer was identified as one of five judges whom lawyers said should be compelled to relinquish their robes. Among the lawyers who participated, only 48.1 percent answered “yes” when asked whether Mercer should remain on the bench. In an earlier interview with the Review‑Journal, Mercer said she was dissatisfied with the evaluation but noted that upon assuming the office her staff was “brand new,” which complicated her transition. She added, “Nonetheless, I don’t take it lightly, and I’ve made some good personnel corrections, and I’ve put in place some procedural safeguards in my department.” Department Z is one of six family‑court divisions created during the 2020 election cycle to accommodate a growing caseload. Mercer won the inaugural race for the position and is presently serving a six‑year term.