Late Tuesday, Attorney General Aaron Ford warned that the state could sue the Trump Administration over its planned executive order seeking to end the use of mail-in voting and voting machines.
"We successfully sued President Trump the last time he unlawfully interfered with Nevada’s elections by executive order. If the president issues another unlawful executive order to interfere with Nevada’s elections, Secretary of State Aguilar and I will evaluate all legal options, up to and including another lawsuit," Ford said in a statement.
He joined his fellow Democrat, Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, in opposing Trump’s announcement earlier in the week that he planned to interfere with the upcoming midterms.
“I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES (sic),” Trump’s statement read in part.
As president, Trump doesn’t have the authority to set election policy.
In response, Aguilar reiterated that mail-in voting is a secure and popular option for voters across the state, regardless of party affiliation.
“Mail ballots were the #1 choice for voters statewide, and the counties with the highest mail ballot turnout were some of our most rural counties, with Douglas County at 63% and Nye County at 58%,” he wrote. “Nevada runs safe, secure elections and we will stand up against any attempts to silence the voices of our citizens.”
Trump sought to justify the move with disproven conspiracy theories. Later, in remarks at the White House, he also bluntly admitted he wants to harm the electoral chances of Democrats.
Michael Waldman, President and CEO of the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, said in a newsletter that Trump’s plan would amount to an “authoritarian takeover” of the electoral system.
“Attempting to implement any of these policies via executive order would be flagrantly illegal and flatly unconstitutional — a power grab,” he wrote.
