Judge rejects Cortez Masto lawsuit to keep polls open
A Clark County District Court judge Tuesday evening denied a motion by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s campaign to extend voting hours at certain polling locations because of “election administration issues.”
The lawsuit, filed in Clark County District Court 11 minutes after polls closed at 7 p.m., had asked for a two-hour-extension at eight locations, meaning that if the court had granted relief, anyone who lined up before that time would be allowed to vote.
District Court Judge Gloria Sturman denied the motion, according to a court spokeswoman.
Attorney Bradley Schrager, who represented the senator, wrote in an email to the Review-Journal that Sturman’s ruling likely came down to “practicality,” noting that many polling places had already closed and it was hard to know if anyone had been turned away earlier.
Earlier, Cortez Masto’s campaign spokesman Josh Marcus-Blank, wrote in a statement: “Every vote must count, and delays caused by long lines and paper delays should not prevent Nevadans from casting their ballots.”
According to the complaint, printers at eight polling locations ran out of paper, rendering the machines unusable while long lines formed. The printers record a voter’s choices for verification before ballots are cast.)
“Specifically, Plaintiff asks the Court to ensure the integrity of the democratic process and prevent serious and irreparable injury to the (Cortez Masto) campaign and the (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) and the fundamental rights of the constituents by declaring that the Clark County polling places must remain open for additional time,” the lawsuit reads.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow @rickytwrites on Twitter. Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.