Man Challenges Nevada Election Results

CARSON CITY, Nev. – A businessman has filed a challenge to the Nov. 2 election, saying thousands of Nevadans may have been denied the right to vote.

The challenge filed Tuesday in Washoe County District Court alleges there were "massive irregularities and malfunctions in the registration process."

Six Republican electors are scheduled to meet following the state Supreme Court's Nov. 23 canvass of the election and officially give President Bush (search) Nevada's five electoral votes.

The election challenge filed by Rick Newell Davis (search), of Minden, asks that anyone who was disenfranchised be allowed to vote before the results are declared final and official.

Davis, who just changed his registration from Democrat to Republican, said Wednesday the contest wasn't filed for partisan purposes.

"Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican doesn't matter," he said. "All the people should be concerned about election misconduct."

The alleged irregularities resulted from the activities by an organization financed by the Republican National Committee (search), according to Davis.

Some former workers for Voter Outreach of America, operated by Sproul and Associates of Phoenix, who registered voters in Nevada and other battleground states have alleged they were told to register only Republicans and to ignore pro-Kerry people. Some said that completed Democratic registration forms were thrown out or ripped up.

The head of the company, Nathan Sproul — a former Christian Coalition activist and one-time executive director of the Arizona GOP — has denied any wrongdoing.

Bush defeated John Kerry by 21,500 votes in Nevada, 418,690 to 397,190.