A legal challenge against Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar alleges that his office has failed to adequately maintain voter rolls, potentially allowing thousands of noncitizens to vote in the 2020 election. The lawsuit, initiated by the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, the Nevada GOP, and a state resident, accuses Aguilar of neglecting his duties to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered.
The Nevada GOP’s Michael McDonald criticized the situation, asserting, “Any efforts to allow non-citizens to vote threatens the very foundation of our elections and diminishes the power of lawful voters across our state.” He emphasized that election integrity is crucial for reflecting the will of Nevada’s citizens.
The lawsuit claims that Aguilar has not established necessary rules for verifying voter citizenship or systematically removing noncitizens, as required by state law. Data from a 2020 election investigation indicated that 3,987 noncitizens, according to DMV records, cast ballots. This information comes from a sworn affidavit by former RNC Chief Data Officer Jesse Kamzol.
Kamzol’s affidavit reported that 6,260 non-citizens were registered to vote and 3,987 of them voted. However, he noted possible inaccuracies due to inconsistent name suffixes and missing birth dates.
In response, former Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske’s office reviewed the claims and found that 5,320 individuals from the DMV file were active voters, with 4,057 participating in the 2020 election. Cegavske’s report dismissed the allegations, suggesting that some individuals might have naturalized before the election.
Secretary Aguilar’s spokesperson defended the administration’s practices, stating that only U.S. citizens can vote and that safeguards are in place to prevent noncitizen voting. The spokesperson called the claims of widespread issues misleading and harmful to public trust in elections.
The plaintiffs are asking for a court order requiring Aguilar to conduct systematic list maintenance to verify voter citizenship and to complete these actions before the November election. They also seek a declaratory judgment affirming Aguilar’s legal responsibilities.
