The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that ballots arriving after Election Day without a postmark can be counted up to three days after the election. The decision comes after an appeal from Republican groups seeking to block counties from accepting such ballots was denied. The court upheld the current law, which allows for ballots without a postmark to be counted if received no later than the third day after the election.
The Republican National Committee, the Trump campaign, Nevada GOP, and a voter had filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and county clerks and registrars, arguing that ballots without postmarks should not be accepted after Election Day. However, the court ruled that rejecting timely mail ballots due to postal service omissions goes against the public interest in exercising the right to vote.
The ruling has been met with criticism from the RNC, which claims that allowing ballots without postmarks to be counted undermines the integrity of Nevada’s elections. The secretary of state’s office, on the other hand, has praised the decision, stating that it will prevent the disenfranchisement of voters through no fault of their own.
The court also rejected the RNC’s argument that counting ballots without postmarks would benefit Democratic candidates over Republican candidates, as they failed to show evidence of any impact. Overall, this ruling is the latest in a series of legal battles leading up to the Nov. 5 election in Nevada, with more lawsuits expected post-election.
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