The ACLU of Nevada on Friday sent a letter to Washoe County’s Board of County Commissioners saying the ACLU will sue if the so-called “election integrity” measure on the commission’s meeting agenda tomorrow passes.
They called the measure “wholly unnecessary” on top of previously calling it “patently illegal.”
The resolution, placed on the agenda at the request of Commissioner Jeanne Herman, purports to be focused on “election integrity.” It is championed by a small but vocal group of far-right conservatives and conspiracy theorists who believe the lie that there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, numerous election officials and judges, have repeatedly confirmed there is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
In the letter, ACLU Policy Director Holly Wellborn and Voting Rights Attorney Samie Ramic praised the county’s election staff and district attorney, who provided legal analysis of the resolution, basically debunking most of Herman’s proposals.
They said the commission doesn’t have the authority to pass the measure.
“Nevada has made a lot of progress on voting rights issues in recent years, and we will not tolerate any attacks on Nevadans’ freedom to vote,” Ramic said. “Parts of this proposal are patently unlawful, ambiguous, exceed the authority of the Washoe County Board of Commissioners, and we welcome the opportunity to litigate this if the Commission adopts these regressive proposals.”
The ACLU letter to commissioners provided additional rebuttal to each of the 20 specific items on the resolution, as has also been done by This Is Reno, Washoe County staff and the Washoe County District Attorney’s office, among others.
ACLU officials said the proposal violates multiple state and federal laws, including the Constitution, and will make it harder for Washoe County voters to participate in elections.
Commissioners are set to hear public comment, which is expected to be lengthy, and take up consideration of the resolution during their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, March 22 at 10 a.m.
