Federal judge dismisses RNC lawsuit over Michigan voter records

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Federal judge dismisses RNC lawsuit over Michigan voter records

2024-10-23 07:53 Last Updated At：08:00

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A federal court in Michigan dismissed a lawsuit over voter records, dealing another blow this week to the Republican National Committee's efforts to target the battleground state over the voting process.

The lawsuit accused the Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Michigan Bureau of Elections Director Jonathan Brater of failing to “maintain clean and accurate voter registration records." U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering said Republicans did not supply evidence and lacked legal standing in their challenge.

Earlier this week, a Michigan state judge rejected a separate attempt brought by the RNC to disqualify the ballots of certain overseas and military voters.

The RNC alleged in its original March complaint that there are more registered voters in Michigan than eligible citizens, a claim that misrepresents data and has been echoed in recent days by Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla and Space X and owner of the social media platform X. The Republicans in the case argued the state failed to remove some people who are no longer eligible from voter rolls and violated the National Voting Rights Act.

The court disagreed. The judge said the Republicans' claim was not plausible and did not demonstrate any specific case of an ineligible voter on the state's active voter list.

The RNC and its attorneys on the lawsuit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the state does have more total voter registrations than eligible voters, that number includes voters who are inactive but cannot yet be removed from voter rolls under federal and state laws.

Federal law prohibits states from removing voters who may be ineligible until at least two federal general elections have passed since those voters failed to respond to an official notice, Beckering noted. According to the Secretary of State, there are more than 550,000 voters who were registered, but as of March are currently slated for cancellation in 2025 or 2027.

“False and meritless claims — whether they are posted on social media or in legal filings — won’t stand up in court," Benson said in a statement. “That’s where evidence, the law, and facts rule the day.”

The lawsuit from the RNC is part of a broader effort led by Republicans to challenge large numbers of voter registration to raise questions about the integrity of this year’s election as Trump repeatedly claims without evidence that his opponents are trying to cheat.

Salah scores and Egypt eliminates Ivory Coast to join Nigeria in Africa Cup semifinals

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Mohamed Salah scored and Egypt eliminated defending champion Ivory Coast to move into the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals with a 3-2 victory on Saturday.

Salah nabbed his fourth goal of the tournament — Egypt’s third of the game — in the 52nd minute and the Pharaohs needed it as Ivory Coast threatened to twice come back from two goals down.

But Egypt held on in Agadir despite relentless Ivorian pressure and booked a semifinal date with 2021 champion Senegal in Tangier on Wednesday.

Ivory Coast had a woeful start as Franck Kessie lost the ball in midfield after a poor touch and Odilon Kossounou fell over instead of cutting out Emam Ashour’s ball for Omar Marmoush, who scored in the fourth minute.

Ramy Rabia produced a brilliant block to preserve the lead then scored himself with a header from a corner in the 32nd.

Ivory Coast finally pulled one back in the 40th when Ahmed Abou El Fotouh bundled in a dangerous Yan Diomande free kick that Kossounou headed on.

Salah restored Egypt’s two-goal cushion early in the second half when Rabia caught the Ivorian defense out with a long ball for Ashour, who set up Salah with the outside of his boot.

Guéla Doué pulled one back again with his heel in a goalmouth scramble after goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy clawed the ball away in the 73rd, but the equalizer never came.

Egypt is bidding for a record-extending eighth title.

Victor Osimhen scored one goal and set up another for Nigeria to down Algeria 2-0 for its place in the semifinals.

The Super Eagles, who had a far from ideal preparation with reports of bonuses not being paid, will face host Morocco in the second semifinal in Rabat on Wednesday.

They needed patience in Marrakech against the team with the best defense in the tournament after failing to take their chances in the first half — Akor Adams fired over when he had only Luca Zidane in the Algeria goal to beat, and Calvin Bassey had another effort cleared off the line.

Osimhen finally scored after the break when he headed the ball back across Zidane’s direction of movement from Bruno Onyemaechi’s cross.

It was the first goal at the tournament conceded by Zidane, whose parents were in the stands again.

But it was quickly followed by the second.

Patient buildup play preceded Alex Iwobi’s pass to Osimhen, who unselfishly played across for Adams, who eluded the out-rushing Zidane and poked the ball into the empty net in the 57th.

Algeria coach Vladimir Petković reacted with three changes including the withdrawals of captain Riyad Mahrez and star forward Ibrahim Maza but there was nothing the Fennec Foxes could do to get back in the game against the confident and assured Nigerians, who remained in control throughout.

Adams struck the post when he looked certain to score the third.

Three-time champion Nigeria, which lost the final to Ivory Coast in the last edition, is bidding to win the title for the first time since 2013. It would help make up for the disappointment of failing to qualify for the World Cup — in contrast to Algeria.

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations