Donald J. Trump‘s presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) are suing the Nevada Secretary of State to prevent counting mail-in ballots received after election day. Nevada election law allows ballots received up to four days after an election to be counted.
“Nevada’s ballot receipt deadline clearly violates federal law and undermines election integrity in the state,” RNC co-chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. He added: “[T]he RNC and our partners are suing to secure an honest election, support Nevada voters, and oppose unlawful schemes.”
“Congress has established a uniform, national day to elect members of Congress and to appoint presidential electors,” attorneys for the RNC and Trump campaign contend in their lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court of Nevada. “Nevada effectively extends Nevada’s federal election past the Election Day established by Congress,” the lawsuit argues.
“Nevada runs some of the most secure, transparent, and accessible elections in the country,” Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar (D) said, defending the state’s mail-in voting policy. “The key for that accessibility is allowing working Nevadans to vote using the method that works best for them, including voting by mail,” Aguilar continued before adding: “Our office will not comment on ongoing litigation, but I hope the RNC is putting as much time and energy into educating voters on how to participate in elections as they put into suing the state of Nevada.”
The Nevada mail-in ballot law challenge is one of 83 election integrity lawsuits the RNC has filed in 25 states ahead of November’s presidential election. Fewer than 34,000 votes separated former President Trump from Joe Biden in Nevada’s 2020 presidential election.