Montana Democrats sue over bills tightening voter ID, ending Election Day registration kpax.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kpax.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
HELENA Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed measures Monday to end same-day voter registration and require additional identifying information from those who use a student ID to register to vote.
“Montana has a long history of secure, transparent elections, setting a standard for the nation,” Gianforte said in a statement. “These new laws will help ensure the continued integrity of Montana’s elections for years to come.
Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen had requested the changes.
Supporters of the bill to end same-day voter registration said it will allow clerks to focus on voting on Election Day and mean shorter lines at the polls.
As expected, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte Monday signed a pair of bills that eliminate voter-registration on Election Day in Montana and tighten ID requirements for voting and voter-registration.
The first, SB 169, requires a photo ID to vote in an election. Photo ID is already required for routine activities, like traveling on a plane or replacing a cell phone, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen said.
Republicans argue it will make elections more secure and accurate, but those against the idea say voter fraud was never a real issue in Montana. We have no data that voter fraud is occurring under the current laws, and we ask that you not make them more complicated, Sam Forstag, with ACLU of Montana, said.
The other bill, HB 176, ends same day voter registration and changes late registration to noon the day before an election.
Montana Democratic Party challenges changes to voter ID laws
April 20, 2021 GMT
HELENA, Mont. (AP) The Montana Democratic Party has asked a judge to overturn a law that ends Election Day voter registration and another that requires college students to provide other proof of residency besides a student ID to register and vote.
In the lawsuit filed Monday against Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, the party said the laws place an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote for students, Native Americans, the elderly, those with disabilities and others without a valid reason.
The complaint was filed in state District Court in Billings shortly after Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bills into law and said they would “help ensure the continued integrity of Montana’s elections for years to come.”