The Trump campaign has initiated legal action against Nevada's top election official, alleging inadequate measures to prevent noncitizens from voting.
According to a report by the Washington Examiner, the lawsuit targets Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and claims that more stringent actions are necessary to maintain the integrity of voter registration rolls.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, involves the Trump campaign, the Nevada GOP, the Republican National Committee (RNC), and a Clark County voter. They are collectively challenging Aguilar, the Democratic National Committee, and the Nevada Democratic Party. The legal action disputes the findings of former Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske's 2021 review, which found no substantial evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
The Trump campaign's lawsuit cites several sources to support its claim of potential noncitizen voting in Nevada. One key piece of evidence is Harvard University's Cooperative Election Study, which suggests that 4% of noncitizen respondents in Nevada claimed to be registered to vote, exceeding the national average of 2.5%.
Additionally, the campaign points to court public records indicating that 8% of one district court's jury pool claimed disqualification due to noncitizen status. The GOP argues that this data implies noncitizens have been included in voter rolls, as jury pools are partially compiled using voter registration lists.
The lawsuit contends that these figures warrant further investigation and action from the Secretary of State's office to ensure only eligible citizens are registered to vote in Nevada elections.
Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar has pushed back against the allegations made in the lawsuit. His office maintains that numerous safeguards are already in place to prevent ineligible individuals, including noncitizens, from casting ballots in Nevada elections.
The secretary of state's office stated to the Nevada Independent:
There are already numerous safeguards in place to prevent noncitizens, or anyone ineligible to vote, from casting a ballot. Any claims of a widespread problem are false and only create distrust in our elections.
Despite the current legal challenge, the RNC and Nevada GOP recently praised the Secretary of State's office for its efforts in maintaining accurate voter rolls. In August, over 76,000 inactive voters were removed from the state's active voter list, a move celebrated by Republican organizations.
The Nevada GOP acknowledged this action in a social media post, stating:
NVGOP & the Trump campaign have taken the lead to ensure election officials follow the law and clean our voter rolls. Thank you @NVSOS for these important updates.
In addition to the current lawsuit, Nevada is implementing various measures to enhance election security. The Secretary of State's office recently announced the full implementation of a new centralized statewide voter registration database, which connects election processes and data from all 17 counties in the state.
Meanwhile, Republican Governor Joe Lombardo is pushing to implement a voter ID law in Nevada, which currently does not require voters to provide identification before casting a ballot in most cases. These efforts reflect the ongoing debate and initiatives surrounding election integrity in the state.
The Trump campaign's lawsuit against Nevada's Secretary of State alleges inadequate measures to prevent noncitizen voting. The legal action cites studies and public records to support claims of potential noncitizen registration. Secretary Aguilar maintains that existing safeguards are sufficient to prevent ineligible voting. This dispute unfolds as Nevada implements new election management systems and debates voter ID laws, highlighting the state's crucial role in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
