The Republican National Committee (RNC) is leading a lawsuit against a Nevada law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted days after the election without a postmark. The lawsuit, filed by the RNC, the Nevada Republican Party, the Trump campaign, and a Nevada voter, argues that the state law contradicts federal election laws that designate Election Day as the Tuesday after the first Monday of November. The lawsuit claims that Nevada’s policy dilutes valid votes with invalid ones and violates federal election law.
The RNC argues that the late ballot deadline causes competitive harm as Democrats are more likely to use mail-in ballots than Republicans, especially in Nevada. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley stated that ballots received after Election Day should not be counted as they undermine election integrity in the state. This is not the first challenge to Nevada’s extension of mail-in ballot deadlines.
A previous challenge by the Trump campaign in 2020 was dismissed for lack of standing. The Democrat-run legislature then codified the emergency mail-in ballot extension with a similar bill in 2021. During the 2020 presidential election, a deceased man was mailed a ballot, which was later marked as completed. The Nevada Republican Party investigated and found that the deceased man had previously resided at the address, but his son, who shares the same name, had voted in person as a registered Democrat.
In conclusion, the RNC’s lawsuit aims to challenge Nevada’s law that permits mail-in ballots to be counted days after the election without a postmark, arguing that it violates federal election laws and undermines election integrity in the state.
