The Republican National Committee (RNC), President Trump’s campaign, and the Nevada Republican Party have filed a lawsuit against the state of Nevada challenging the practice of counting mail-in ballots lacking postmarks that arrive the day after the election.
In a press release issued on Monday, the RNC emphasized that Nevada law mandates mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day. Michael Whatley, the RNC chairman, highlighted the issue, stating that counting ballots after Election Day without postmarks could potentially lead to fraud and undermine the integrity of the state's elections.
The RNC's press release underscored the importance of adhering to this law to ensure that ballots arriving after Election Day are not included in the final count. Whatley further stressed that the lawsuit aims to enforce Nevada’s election laws to maintain the integrity of the election process in the state.
According to the RNC, they discovered that Nevada election officials have routinely counted non-postmarked mail ballots received after Election Day, which obviously violates state law. This prompted the lawsuit against Nevada Secretary of State Francisco, various county registrars, and clerks including Cari-Ann Burgess and Jan Galassini from Washoe County, as well as Lorena Portillo and Lynn Marie Goya from Clark County.
The legal action follows the signing of Assembly Bill (AB) 321 into law by former Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak in June 2021, which permanently established mail-in voting practices in Nevada. AB 321 allows for mail-in ballots to be counted if they are received up to four days after the election.
Michael McDonald, chairman of the Nevada Republican Party, expressed the party's commitment to ensuring election integrity and maintaining voter confidence, noting that allowing ballots without postmarks to be counted illegally compromises both election fairness and security. McDonald affirmed that they will continue to advocate for elections where only legal votes are counted.
Similar lawsuits regarding the counting of late-arriving mail-in ballots have also been filed in other states, including Mississippi and North Dakota.
Read the lawsuit here.
