Nevada Republicans Plan Protest Over Mail-In Voting Bill
Nevada Republicans are set to hold statewide protests on Tuesday after Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak signed a bill allowing every registered voter in the state to vote by mail in the November election.
The state party plans to stage demonstrations against the new measures in Las Vegas, Reno and Carson City between 5-8 p.m. PDT as President Donald Trump has called for "immediate litigation" against the mail-in voting plans.
Advertising the protests on Eventbrite, the Nevada GOP dubbed the emergency voting measures a "power grab bill" that would put "the integrity of the election results into question," implying that mail-in voting would entail fraud.
"By throwing the integrity of the election results into question through mandating ballots be sent to all voters and legalizing ballot harvesting, Nevada Democrats have proven to be a callous and careless majority that is drunk on power," the event pages read.
The three planned protests are due to take place outside the Grant Sawyer State Office in Las Vegas, the Nevada Governor's Mansion in Carson City, and Reno's City Hall. Attendees have been told to follow all CDC coronavirus guidelines while at the demonstrations.
Newsweek has contacted the Nevada Republican Party for further comment. This article will be updated with any response.
Nevada lawmakers voted through the AB4 bill mandating the distribution of mail-in ballots to all registered voters last week, with the state Assembly backing the bill in a 29-12 vote and the Senate voting 13-8 in favor the plans.
Governor Sisolak announced that he had signed the bill into law on Monday, saying the measures would allow locals to vote safely in the November elections.
"During this global pandemic, I made a commitment that we'd do all we can to allow Nevadans to safely cast a ballot in the upcoming November election," Sisolak tweeted.
"This bill will help prevent Nevadans from experiencing the long lines at polling locations they faced during the Primary election, which will protect their safety, safeguard their right to make their voices heard, and help reduce the spread of COVID-19."
Reacting to the party-line votes in favor of the mail-in ballot bill on Sunday, Nevada GOP Chairman Michael J. McDonald said: "With less than 100 days to go until Election Day, Nevada Democrats have upended November's election and changed the rules at the last possible minute.
"Our state's top election official, who has a plan in place to hold a traditional election safely, was not consulted on AB4 and only received the 100-page bill an hour before it was first heard in the Assembly."
The Nevada Republican Party unveiled its plans to protest against the electoral reform legislation after President Donald Trump pledged to sue Nevada over the passage of the mail-in voting reform.
"In an illegal late night coup, Nevada's clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state," Trump tweeted. "Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court!"
