Losing In Nevada, Trump Claims Voter Fraud Because Polls Stayed Open Late

Officials Extended Hours To Accommodate Those Already In Line, But GOP Nominee Claims They Were Busing In Democrats

With early voting numbers showing he’s in trouble in Nevada, Donald Trump is now claiming voter fraud. 

At a rally in Reno on Saturday night, Trump alleged that polls were kept open late in Clark County, home to Las Vegas, to allow Democrats to bus people in to vote. 

“Don’t let crazy, broken Harry Reid and his corrupt political machine decide this election for you,” Trump told the crowd. “For instance, it’s being reported that certain key Democratic polling locations in Clark County were kept open for hours and hours beyond closing time to bus and bring Democratic voters in. Folks, it’s a rigged system. It’s a rigged system, and we’re going to beat it.” 

Earlier, in what appeared to be a racist dog whistle, Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald — who spoke before Trump at the rally — said the polls were kept open “so a certain group could vote.” 

“If we don’t get our people out to vote, they’re gonna win,” McDonald said. “Last night, in Clark County, they kept a poll open till 10 o’clock at night so a certain group could vote. It wasn’t in an area that normally has high transition. The polls are supposed to close at 7. This was kept open till 10. Yeah, you feel free right now? You think this is a free and easy election?” 

According to The Las Vegas Review-Journal, the polls were kept open to accommodate those already in line when they closed. The Review-Journal reports that a record number of people, 57,000, voted on the last day of early voting in Clark County. 

“A handful of polling locations were scheduled to close at 7 p.m., and others were open until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. depending on location,” the newspaper reported. “But closing time didn’t mean a voting cutoff — people still in line when polls closed’will still be able to vote,’ [county spokesman Dan] Kulin said Friday, and as of 10 p.m. a handful of valley locations still had long lines.” 

Friday’s turnout in Las Vegas prompted one longtime local political analyst to predict that Hillary Clinton is now well on her way to winning the swing state. 

“Trump’s path was nearly impossible, as I have been telling you, before what happened in Clark County on Friday,” wrote ABC 13’s Jon Ralston. “But now he needs a Miracle in Vegas on Election Day — and a Buffalo Bills Super Bowl championship is more likely — to turn this around. The ripple effect down the ticket probably will cost the Republicans Harry Reid’s Senate seat, two GOP House seats and control of the Legislature.”

CNN reported that Democrats have built a lead of more than 72,000 votes in Clark County, 13.7 points ahead of Republicans, and slightly larger than President Barack Obama’s edge in 2012.