The Supreme Court has turned down an effort by Green Party candidate Jill Stein to have her name included on this year’s presidential ballot in Nevada.
The ruling — issued Friday morning without explanation and without any justice publicly dissenting — is a win for Democrats, who feared Stein would sap support from Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the important swing state.
Democrats sued to block Stein from the ballot, arguing that her backers failed to include required certifications with signatures submitted to the state. A trial court rejected the challenge, concluding that the omission wasn’t significant, but the Nevada Supreme Court disagreed.
In a 5-2 ruling issued Sept. 6, Nevada’s top court said the certifications of signatures served “an essential purpose” and that Stein wasn’t entitled to appear on the ballot without such filings. Green Party officials complained they were misled by an incomplete form sent to them by the Nevada secretary of state’s office, but the court’s majority said that didn’t excuse the omission.