9th Circuit dismisses Republican challenge to Nevada mail ballot grace period

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Republican National Committee (RNC), the Nevada Republican Party, and individual voters challenging Nevada’s mail ballot grace period. The law allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they are received up to four business days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked by Election Day.

The plaintiffs argued that the grace period violated federal statutes and the U.S. Constitution by failing to maintain a uniform national election date. They also claimed the rule could dilute votes and force the RNC to divert resources to post-election activities.

The appellate court dismissed the appeal on procedural grounds, noting that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing because they failed to demonstrate specific harm from the lower court’s previous ruling. This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee, which rejected arguments that federal election date statutes prohibit states from processing ballots arriving shortly after Election Day.