'We win!' Voting rights advocate cheers after right-wing group's voter challenge dismissed

A lawsuit filed by a right-wing group has been dismissed in Nevada that accused officials in Washoe County of failing to process mass voter challenges.

Citizens Outreach Foundation and a voter filed a petition against Carre-Ann Burgess, the county's Registrar of voters, according to the group Democracy Docket. Washoe County, the home of Reno and the second-most populous area of Nevada outside the Las Vegas metropolitan area, is vital to deciding who gets Nevada's six electoral college votes.

The dispute stemmed from July when Charles Muth and the Pigpen Project challenged voter eligibility in nearly every county in the state. The following month, the secretary of state issued new guidelines that required voter challengers to have personal knowledge of the facts they cite when contesting another voter’s eligibility.

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The foundation claimed that Washoe County violated state laws by refusing to process their challenges and failing to notify affected voters. It also claimed it did have personal knowledge to support the eligibility challenges and sought a court order forcing the county to process their submissions.

On Wednesday, Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias said his organization filed a brief opposing them.

On Friday, the petitioners dismissed their case against Washoe County, leading Elias to declare Friday evening: "When we fight, we win!"

Over the summer, turmoil engulfed Washoe County after Republicans on the county commission refused to certify a primary election.

The Republican-led commission refused to certify the results of the primary, claiming that the recounts for candidates Mark Lawson in Washoe County Commission District 4 and Paul White in Washoe County School Board Trustee District G, both Republicans who narrowly lost, required "further investigation," in the words of Commissioner Clara Andriola.

At issue in the decision was a printing error in a small precinct during early voting in May and issues with tabulation machines that caused a delay in counting. Burgess said the recount did not turn up any discrepancies.