Donald Trump, along with the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Nevada Republican Party, filed a lawsuit against Nevada on Friday, aiming to prevent the counting of mail-in ballots received after Election Day.
Nevada law currently allows ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received within four days afterward. However, Trump and his allies seek to invalidate any ballots not received by or on Election Day.
This lawsuit mirrors a similar one filed earlier this year in Mississippi, highlighting a trend where Republican-led efforts challenge mail-in voting regulations. Despite similar suits being dismissed in Illinois and North Dakota, Trump persists in filing them, potentially setting the stage for future legal battles and casting doubt on election results preemptively.
The motive behind these suits appears twofold. Firstly, they serve as a tactic to delegitimize election outcomes by questioning the integrity of the voting process. Secondly, they aim to restrict mail-in voting, which is often favored by Democratic voters, thus potentially disadvantaging their political opponents.
While Trump has previously disparaged mail-in voting, he recently shifted his stance to encourage its use. This change aligns with the Republican strategy to challenge mail-in voting primarily based on its perceived impact on election outcomes rather than genuine concerns about fraud.
By highlighting the discrepancy in mail-in voting between Democratic and Republican voters, Trump and Republicans underscore their intent to use legal maneuvers to influence electoral outcomes in their favor.