Trump campaign, Nevada GOP file suit to halt mail ballot count in Las Vegas area

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The re-election campaign for President Donald Trump and Nevada Republican Party have filed a lawsuit to stop the counting of mail-in ballots in Clark County over alleged issues with observing the counting process.

They, along with a plaintiff named Fred Kraus, filed a petition in Carson City District Court against Barbara Cegavske, the Nevada Secretary of State, and Joe Gloria, the Clark County registrar of voters.

They argue that Gloria is "obstructing the observation process" by not allowing people to see all areas where ballots are handled and ask a judge to block ballot-counting until a new plan is in place.

They allege observers are put in an area that's too far away to see computers or monitor calls, that ballot review could compromise secrecy and that offers to place cameras in ballot-counting facilities were rebuffed.

Also included is an argument that a machine used to match signatures has a lower "tolerance number" that would decrease the number of mail-in ballots rejected for improper signatures.

The petition argues that the court should require Cegavske's office to approve a plan that would allow observation of the entire process, including via camera, and that ballot-counting should be stopped until "proper procedures are in place."

"Gloria's complete failure to timely submit an election plan as required by Nevada law and further refusal to work with petitioners to assure meaningful and safe observation of the process is unprecedented," the suit argues.

Cegavske's office declined to comment. Clark County did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gloria.

The Nevada State Democratic Party issued a statement slamming the lawsuit though, calling it "an obvious attempt to impede record-breaking momentum in Clark County." It cited a large number of ballots from registered Democrats already submitted compared to those from registered Republicans as the reason for the suit.

"The demands articulated in the GOP’s lawsuit amount to voter suppression, plain and simple," the party said in a statement.

This is the second lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign and state GOP over voting plans in Nevada this year. A federal judge tossed the previous suit, filed over the state's new law that automatically sends out a ballot to active voters during a state of emergency, due to what he called a lack of standing and overly speculative arguments.

https://krcrtv.com/news/beyond-the-podium/trump-campaign-nevada-gop-file-suit-to-halt-mail-ballot-count-in-las-vegas-area