Trump, RNC file lawsuit to block counting of Nevada mail-in ballots after Election Day

by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News May 5, 2024

The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) on Friday filed a lawsuit challenging a Nevada law which allows elections officials to count mail-in ballots for up to four business days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked before polls close.

The lawsuit alleges that the four-day period for mail ballots to be received violates federal law because it does not conform to the Election Day deadline established by the federal government. Attorneys for the plaintiffs, which includes the Nevada Republican Party, argue that the law establishing the ballot timeline is “unlawful and must be enjoined.”

“The result of Nevada’s violation of federal law is that timely, valid ballots are diluted by untimely, invalid ballots, which violates the rights of candidates, campaigns, and voters under federal law,” the suit says. “Counting mail ballots received after Election Day doesn’t just dilute the valid ballots — it specifically and disproportionately harms Republican candidates and voters.”

“Nevada’s ballot receipt deadline clearly violates federal law and undermines election integrity in the state,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. “Ballots received days after Election Day should not be counted.”

In 2021, the Democrat-controlled legislature moved to permanently codify pandemic-related election changes adopted for the 2020 election season, including the counting of mail-in ballots after Election Day.

The legislation reduced some of the deadlines that were implemented during the 2020 election — shortening from seven to four days the timeframe after an election when mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can be accepted. There is a reduction of seven to six days in time for voters to fix issues on their mail ballot (a process called “signature cure”).

Nevada is one of eight states that allow elections to be conducted entirely by mail.


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