Roche writes: "President Donald Trump's campaign is mounting a fresh legal bid to prevent the certification of votes in Nevada. A new lawsuit names the state's Democratic presidential electors as defendants."
Donald Trump supporters protest outside Clark County Election Department where ballots are counted on November 6, in North Las Vegas. The Trump campaign is suing Nevada presidential electors. (photo: Ronda Churchill/Getty)
18 November 20
resident Donald Trump's campaign is mounting a fresh legal bid to prevent the certification of votes in Nevada. A new lawsuit names the state's Democratic presidential electors as defendants.
One of those named is Gabrielle d'Ayr, a former chair of the Clark County Democratic Party who says she is currently homeless. Clark County has been the focus of a previous election-related case.
The lawsuit, which was jointly filed by the Trump campaign and the Nevada Republican Party, seeks to award the state's six electoral college votes to the president or annul the election result there.
If successful, the suit would invalidate tens of thousands of votes, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
D'Ayr was chosen as a Democratic presidential elector at convention elections earlier in 2020. She said she only found out she was named as a defendant when she was contacted by the Review-Journal.
"I'm a homeless veteran, and the Trump campaign is suing me for doing my civic duty," she told the newspaper on Tuesday.
D'Ayr said she had lost her job when the U.S. census ended and was currently living with a friend. She is expected to cast her vote in the Electoral College after the election is certified on November 24.
The other electors chosen by the Nevada Democratic Party are Judith Whitmer, Sarah Mahler, Joseph Throneberry, Artemesia Blanco and Yvanna Cancela, a state senator. Nevada state law requires electors to vote for the presidential candidate who won the popular vote.
I have just been informed that the Trump campaign has filed a lawsuit against me as an elector for the state of Nevada. Me a homeless veteran who is nonetheless continuing to do her duty to the American people
— Gabrielle d'Ayr (@BrieforNevada) November 18, 2020
"My vote belongs to the people of Nevada, and I made a pledge to the people of Nevada," d'Ayr said. "[Nevada Secretary of State] Barbara Cegavske and [Clark County Registrar of Votes] Joe Gloria are people of great integrity, and if those results have been certified, then the will of the people has been made clear and I will cast my vote for Joe Biden."
Writing on Twitter on Tuesday, d'Ayr added: "I have just been informed that the Trump campaign has filed a lawsuit against me as an elector for the state of Nevada. Me a homeless veteran who is nonetheless continuing to do her duty to the American people."
Attorneys for the Trump campaign claimed 15,000 people voted in Nevada while also voting in another state, that 1,000 voters didn't meet residency requirements and 500 were dead. They have not yet provided proof of these claims, but their complaint alleges that there were "40,000 or more" fraudulent votes in the state.
"They are repeating allegations the courts have already rejected, misstating and misrepresenting evidence provided in those proceedings, and parroting erroneous allegations made by partisans without first-hand knowledge of the facts," a Clark County spokesperson said in a statement.
"For example, they mentioned observation of the process, and the use of a machine to assist with signature verification, which they continue to inaccurately explain. On both of these issues, state and federal courts have already rejected their allegations," the statement said.
The Trump campaign's attempts to challenge election outcomes through the courts have so far met with limited success as the deadlines for certifying results are fast approaching.
