The Democratic National Committee is asking judges to throw out lawsuits related to voter rolls and mail-in ballots filed in two battleground states including Nevada.
The DNC filed briefs on behalf of the Biden reelection campaign in Nevada, as well as Michigan on Monday.
The filing argues that the lawsuits filed by the Republican National Committee are meritless and are aimed at sowing distrust in 2024 election.
Last Friday, the Republican National Committee, Trump Campaign and Nevada Republicans filed a lawsuit challenging the state's acceptance of mail ballots up to four business days after Election Day.
The May 3rd lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court and names Nevada's Secretary of State and Washoe and Clark County registrar of voters and clerks.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley stated:
“Nevada’s ballot receipt deadline clearly violates federal law and undermines election integrity in the state. 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 RNC alleges that the state counts ballots with 'unreadable' postmarks, up to three days after Election Day.
"This undermines the integrity of our elections and unlawfully extends the election past the federal Election Day mandated by Congress. A victory in Nevada will have major ramifications for future elections in Nevada and across the country."
Along with Nevada and national Republicans, the lawsuit also names a resident of Clark County as a plaintiff.
The lawsuit alleges that election officials will still count ballots "that lack a postmark and are received on or before 5 p.m. on November 8, 2024." It goes on to say that "by holding voting open beyond the federal Election Day, Nevada violates federal law and harms plaintiffs."
By still accepting ballots past the deadline, the lawsuit states that "late-arriving ballots are not valid, so counting them dilutes the weight of timely, valid ballots....Dilution of honest votes, to any degree, by the casting of fraudulent or illegitimate votes violates the right the vote."
The lawsuit says that the Nevada Republican Party represents more than 550,000 registered Republicans in the state.
NVDems Executive Director Hilary Barrett released this statement:
“Donald Trump and Republicans’ baseless lawsuit is yet another tactic to undermine democracy and disenfranchise thousands of Nevada voters by limiting when ballots can be accepted -- even when postmarked by Election Day.”
Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar released this statement to 2 News Nevada:
"Nevada runs some of the most secure, transparent, and accessible elections in the country. 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."
