RNC files over 70 lawsuits to challenge states on election rules
By Alex Learmonth
Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, November 12, 2012 at 02:11 AM.
ATLANTA — The National Republican Congressional Committee has filed at least 70 legal challenges to the election administration rules approved by the U.S. Department of Justice last week.
In some of the legal filings, the committee seeks to make sure that there is no voter fraud on election day. In others, the committee is asking judges to halt the use of an electronic voting machine because of possible racial bias, or to halt the counting of ballots because of the machines’ vulnerability to hacking, election officials said.
The list of lawsuits includes federal lawsuits in Florida, Texas and North Carolina.
The lawsuits will serve as a kind of public relations headache for the Republican committee, which is counting on the lawsuits to help the GOP maintain control of the House of Representatives in this year’s elections.
That’s why the Republican campaign arm has spent significant resources defending the lawsuit filed against Minnesota in federal court this week.
GOP Rep. Jason Smith announced his plans Monday to challenge the state’s voter-approved redistricting plan that was adopted last August. The redistricting plan had been criticized by civil rights activists.
Smith’s lawsuit came shortly after a judge ruled that Minnesota was in violation of the Voting Rights Act by allowing changes to its voting laws. The changes were made without consulting the state’s original redistricting plan.
Lawyers for the state say the changes were made to address racial issues in the state.
When the suit is completed, Smith will need a new attorney.
The GOP committee says it plans to launch “legal challenges” to several other states.
The list of GOP lawsuits against election administration rules in the past week:
— North Carolina: The National Republican Congressional Committee is challenging the