US Election 2020: Trump vows Nevada lawsuit as he loses legal fight in Michigan, Georgia

The US courts, on November 5, dismissed Trump campaign’s lawsuits in Michigan and Georgia related to electoral malpractice. In Georgia, the campaign had alleged that around 53 late-arriving ballots were mixed with on-time ballots. In Michigan, the campaign had sought to stop counting of absentee ballots. The state judges tossed both the lawsuits, even as the campaign vowed to bring a new lawsuit challenging what it called voting irregularities in Nevada. 

In Georgia, Judge James F Bass dismissed the lawsuit and said that he is “denying the request” and “dismissing the petition” because there was “no evidence” that the ballots in question were invalid. In Michigan, Judge Cynthia Stephens said that she has “no basis” to find that there is a substantial likelihood of success on the merits. During an oral hearing, Stephens said that the relief that is being requested in substantial part is completely unavailable through the secretary of state. 

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She added, “Additionally, even if this relief were available, as opposed to when this suit was announced yesterday morning and the count was beginning, it was filed at 4 o'clock, at which point the count had largely proceeded, I am told”. 

The Trump campaign has additionally filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania. It has also demanded recounting of votes in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the votes are still being counted in key states that could decide the presidency. According to the Associated Press, Democratic nominee Joe Biden has a narrow lead in Nevada, Trump a narrow lead in Georgia and Biden has also been projected to win in Michigan. 

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Supreme Court may not be the final arbiter 

Trump, on the other hand, has said that he would ask the Supreme Court to weigh in on the presidential race, however, the legal experts said that the nation’s top judicial body may not be the final arbiter in this election. The Republican nominee had declared victor against Biden and he had even called the election a “major fraud”. 

Soon after Trump’s comments, Ned Foley, an election law expert, said that it is doubtful that courts would entertain a bid by the US President to stop the counting of ballots that were received before or on Election Day, or that any dispute a court might handle would change the trajectory of the race in closely fought states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. Experts have said that the Supreme Court would be involved only if there were votes of questionable validity that make a difference. 

(With inputs from PTI) 

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