MN Supreme Court dismisses attempt to block election certification
Republicans challenging the results of the 2020 election have suffered yet another legal blow, this time in Minnesota.
On Friday, the state's highest court dismissed a lawsuit seeking to delay the certification of the vote here.
The petitioners, led by former congressional candidate Tyler Kistner (R), wanted the Minnesota Supreme Court to "temporarily restrain the State Canvassing Board from certifying the results of the general election held in Minnesota on November 3, 2020."
They were also seeking a "full recount of the federal and state offices on the ballot for the 2020 general election," according to court documents.
The lawsuit's claims involved the state's witness requirement for absentee and mail ballots. The rule would normally require a witness signature to validate the ballots, but it was suspended this year due to concerns over COVID-19 — a move the petitioners took issue with.
The court's decision to dismiss, which you can read right here, was based partly on the grounds that the petitioners should have filed suit earlier.
"Given the undisputed public record regarding the suspension of the witness requirement for absentee and mail ballots, petitioners had a duty to act well before November 3, 2020," the ruling states.
It goes on to say that "asserting these claims 2 months after voting started, 3 weeks after voting ended, and less than 24 hours before the State Canvassing Board met to certify the election results is unreasonable."
Following the ruling, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison — who argued on behalf of the state in this case — called the lawsuit "unfounded" in a tweet, praising his colleagues "for defending the safest and highest-turnout election in America and the clear will of the voters":
The decision was written by Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty in 2010.
It's the latest in a long series of legal defeats for Republicans alleging fraud in the national election. As the Associated Press reports, President Donald Trump's reelection campaign and its allies across the country have now lost "roughly 50 cases" in their quest to challenge or overturn the election results.
