As the November presidential election draws nearer, issues of ballot access continue to make their way through the courts, with yet another rearing its head in Nevada.
According to The Hill, the Green Party in Nevada is seeking U.S. Supreme Court intervention after the state's highest court excluded its candidates – including presidential hopeful Jill Stein – from the general election ballot.
As the outlet explains, in a 5-2 decision, the Nevada Supreme Court booted Green Party candidates from the ballot, citing clerical problems with the group's signature collection practices.
Notably, a lower Nevada court had sided with Stein and her party, but on appeal, the Supreme Court found that they “did not substantially comply with the requirements” in place to have their candidate appear on the ballot.
The Nevada Supreme Court's decision was greeted with approval by Democrats in the state, who hoped to keep Stein off the ballot, fearing that she could divert votes away from Vice President Kamala Harris in her battle against former President Donald Trump.
Nevada's status as a closely watched swing state ensures that the Green Party's emergency appeal now filed with the U.S. Supreme Court will garner the attention of the nation as voters await resolution.
Working on behalf of the Green Party in this legal action is Jay Sekulow, who has a substantial history representing Trump in a range of matters.
In its application to SCOTUS, the Green Party contended, “The lower court's action preventing Applicant ballot access was extraordinary, denying Applicant both due process and equal protection under the federal Constitution.”
The filing went on, “Given the timing of the lower court's actions, emergency relief in this Court is the only relief available that prevents an ongoing and irreparable harm to Applicant's exercise of one of Americans' most sacred rights.”
The Green Party's application was lodged with Justice Elena Kagan, who has jurisdiction over emergency matters originating in Nevada, and she has set a Tuesday deadline for responses from those opposing the request.
The news from Nevada's high court was not the only hurdle faced by Stein last week, as she also had an embarrassing moment during an interview on the popular radio show The Breakfast Club as Salon reports.
Guest host Angela Rye pressed Stein on why she felt the election was “winnable” in every state in the union when her name will not appear in at least 13 of them – several of which do not provide for write-in options.
Stein responded by simply suggesting, “We will be on the ballot for 95% of voters,” a fact she said was sufficient to achieve a victory.
Perhaps most damaging, however, was when Rye asked Stein for the number of sitting members of the House of Representatives, and rather than offering the correct answer of 435, Stein wondered aloud, “What is it 600, some number?” uttering a response that left many questioning her basic understanding of American government let alone her capacity to serve as commander in chief.
