LAS VEGAS – The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada on Monday released the following statement in reaction to the Supreme Court decision in Watson v Republican National Committee.
In a 5 - 4 decision, the court held that federal election day statutes do not prevent a state from counting absentee ballots postmarked by election day but received thereafter.
The decision was particularly consequential for Nevada. In 2024, nearly half of all Nevada voters cast a mail ballot, over 44%, and at least 11,875 ballots that were postmarked by Election Day were counted when they arrived within Nevada’s five-day grace period.
ACLU of Nevada executive director Athar Haseebullah (he/him) said:
“Today’s decision in Watson v. RNC was critical to protecting our election system as we head into the 2026 election. If the decision went differently, it could have thrown our statewide election system into chaos. While we were prepared to pursue additional legal challenges to ensure Nevada voters are not disenfranchised during our upcoming elections, including our military members serving overseas, those with a disability who can’t physically make it to a voting site, and those in rural parts of our state who live far from a voting center, this decision comes as a welcome surprise for voting rights advocates and the Constitution. Nevada’s mail voting processes are about making sure every eligible voter is able to participate in our elections. While this ruling preserves our state’s election processes for now, we remain prepared to do everything we can alongside our partner organizations to ensure our election system in Nevada isn’t undermined because of Washington politicians.”
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