A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee (RNC), the Nevada GOP, and Nevada voter Scott Johnston, who alleged that voter rolls in the state were inaccurate and violated federal law. The plaintiffs claimed that several counties had more registered voters than eligible adult citizens, heightening the risk of voter fraud ahead of the November election.
In a ruling issued on Friday, October 18, U.S. District Judge Cristina Silva sided with Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar and county election officials, dismissing the case due to lack of standing. Silva found that the plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate a concrete injury under Article III of the Constitution, which requires an actual or imminent injury for federal courts to intervene.
“To have standing under Article III, a plaintiff must allege an injury in fact that is ‘concrete and particularized and actual or imminent, not conjectural or hypothetical,’” Silva wrote. She concluded that the plaintiffs’ concerns about vote dilution were “generalized and speculative.”
The lawsuit, filed in March 2024 and amended in July, argued that Nevada had violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by failing to maintain accurate voter rolls. It highlighted voter registration rates in counties like Douglas (106 percent) and Storey (115 percent) that allegedly exceeded the number of eligible adults, fueling concerns about potential voter fraud under Nevada’s universal mail-in voting system.
The plaintiffs sought a court order requiring stricter voter roll maintenance before the 2024 election. However, the state defended its practices, describing Nevada as a leader in list maintenance, and argued that the lawsuit used misleading data.
Silva’s ruling dismissed the claims with prejudice for Scott Johnston, meaning he cannot refile. However, the RNC and Nevada GOP still have the option to file an amended complaint by Friday, November 1, to address legal standing issues.
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