Trump and RNC file lawsuit against Nevada for mail ballot deadline, citing federal law violation

The Republican National Committee, former President Donald Trump‘s campaign, and the Nevada Republican Party announced a lawsuit on Friday suing the Silver State over its allowance of mail ballots four days after Election Day.

The move is part of the RNC and Trump campaign’s election integrity efforts ahead of and through the Nov. 5 election against President Joe Biden.

“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 — the RNC and our partners are suing to secure an honest election, support Nevada voters, and oppose unlawful schemes.”

The defendants in the case are Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, Washoe County Clerk Jan Galassini, Washoe County Registrar Cari-Ann Burgess, Clark County Registrar Lorena Portillo, and Clark County Clerk Lynn Marie Goya.

Nevada law stipulates mail ballots are mailed and postmarked by Election Day but then offers a four-day grace period.

The RNC alleges that the acceptance of mail ballots after Election Day “undermines the integrity” of the election and violates federal law by extending the election past Nov. 5.

“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 claimed.

The Silver State adopted the all-mail voting system in 2021, largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans in the state objected to the change at the time.

Aguilar pushed back against the allegations that Nevada mail ballot rules violate federal law in a statement to the Washington Examiner.

“Nevada runs some of the most secure, transparent, and accessible elections in the country,” Aguilar said. “The key for that accessibility is allowing working Nevadans to vote using the method that works best for them, including voting by mail.

“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,” he continued.

Trump lost Nevada in the 2020 election to Biden and in 2016 to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

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A win in the Silver State in November would help Trump defeat Biden in their presidential election rematch.

There are at least 83 fair election lawsuits in 25 states the RNC is actively engaged in. Last month, the RNC announced the launch of 100,000 poll-watching volunteers.