The Republican National Committee announced on Monday that it and the Montana Republican Party have intervened in a lawsuit to defend the state's election integrity laws.
"Voter ID and accurate voter registration are essential to secure elections," said RNC Chair Michael Whatley. "Democrat extremists are attacking Montana's voter ID requirements and registration safeguards. The RNC and [Montana Republican Party] are stepping in to protect the integrity of Montana's elections and ensure only eligible Montana voters can cast a ballot."
In May, the Montana Federation of Public Employees filed a lawsuit alleging that legislation repealing election-day registration and another bill strengthening voter ID requirements are unconstitutional, according to the Daily Montanan.
The legal complaint cites a decision last year from the Montana Supreme Court that struck down a law passed in 2021 eliminating Election Day voter registration, and another that sought to narrow the list of acceptable photo IDs allowed, as evidence for why the two new pieces of legislation should fail.
"These bills are plainly unconstitutional and clearly contravene the Supreme Court's (decision)," the organization said, according to court filings. "This court must enjoin the legislature's attempted end-run around binding precedent and the voting rights of Montana citizens."
But the RNC insisted that it and the Montana GOP are intervening to defend what they call two "commonsense" Montana election integrity laws against the lawsuit.
The Republican organizations insisted that the first law expanded voter registration opportunities while also giving election officials adequate time to maintain accurate voter rolls.
The groups also said that the second bill strengthens the state's voter ID law, while at the same time making it easier for Native Americans to cast a ballot by permitting Montana voters to use a tribal photo ID.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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