WASHINGTON,
D.C. – On Friday, the Republican National Committee (RNC) sued
Democrat Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar for allowing certain
non-residents who have never lived in the state to register and vote in Nevada
elections.
“Nevada
Democrats are enforcing a policy that allows certain people who have never
lived in Nevada to vote in Nevada elections,” said RNC
Chairman Joe Gruters. “The RNC is taking action to
defend Nevada’s Constitution and ensure Nevada elections are decided only by
eligible Nevada voters.”
Background:
- The RNC, Nevada
Republican Party, and Republican nominee for Nevada Secretary of State Jim
Marchant sued
Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar.
- This lawsuit
challenges a
provision within a Nevada law that allows certain people
who have never lived in Nevada - and in some cases have never lived in the
United States - to vote in Nevada elections.
- Nevada's
Constitution is clear: voters must have "actually, as
opposed to constructively" resided in Nevada to be eligible to vote.
- This policy allows certain people to vote based solely on the past residency of a
parent or legal guardian, despite never having lived in Nevada themselves.
- This lawsuit seeks
to strike down Nevada's unconstitutional "never-resident voter"
law and stop its enforcement.
- This lawsuit also
seeks the removal of ineligible never-resident voters from Nevada's voter
rolls.
- This lawsuit
builds on the RNC's successful record defending voter eligibility
requirements across the country, including a major victory in North
Carolina stopping non-residents from voting and recent
lawsuits challenging similar policies in Nebraska
and Colorado.
