A judge Tuesday tossed out a legal challenge aimed at blocking Nevada’s five electoral votes from being cast next month for President Bush. In election challenges in two other states, a recount was sought and another was ended.

The plaintiffs in the Nevada case, who described themselves as concerned citizens, had asked the judge to schedule a hearing so they could prove their claims of voter registration fraud and malfunctioning voting machines.

Washoe County District Judge Peter Breen said in dismissing the case that they couldn’t show the outcome of the presidential election would change if it went forward.

“An election contest is a great disruption of the regular process,” Breen wrote. “The election should not be disturbed nor scrutinized by the court without a reasonable showing of a different outcome or an uncertain result.”