A mass voter challenge lawsuit in Washoe County, Nevada, has been dismissed with prejudice. The lawsuit was initiated by the Citizen Outreach Foundation and targeted over 11,000 voters for removal from Nevada’s voter rolls. The ACLU of Nevada intervened in the case to protect these voters’ rights.
The dismissal means that voters in Washoe County can participate in the upcoming November election without fear of being wrongfully removed or disenfranchised. Federal law prohibits large-scale voter purges within 90 days of an election, and Nevada law requires challenges to voter residency to be based on personal knowledge—criteria that were not met by the Petitioners.
Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, stated: “This case was an alarming attempt to disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters, but Nevadans’ voting rights are not up for grabs. This outcome protects voters who were directly targeted by this challenge, including ACLU of Nevada members.”
Sadmira Ramic, a voting rights attorney with the ACLU of Nevada, commented: “The improper challenges brought by the Petitioners based solely on unreliable data would have jeopardized participation of thousands of eligible voters in the upcoming election, including military members and their spouses.”
The decision is seen as a victory for voting rights advocates and highlights ongoing efforts to prevent voter suppression across the country.
