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A Montana judge has blocked the state from limiting voter registration on Election Day, concluding the move would disproportionately harm Native American and young voters. <\/p>\n
The ruling prevents a law that was enacted last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature from being enforced that would have prevented voters from casting ballots in presidential, U.S. Senate and U.S. House races if they register after noon on Election Day. It was the second time in five years that legislators attempted to move away from Election Day registrations.<\/p>\n
District Judge Adam Larsen’s order, issued late Friday, is to remain in effect through the trial of a lawsuit filed by the Montana Federation of Public Employees, later joined by Native American tribes, including the Blackfeet and Northern Cheyenne. However, the state’s primary elections are June 2, and the trial isn’t until late August. <\/p>\n
Larsen, sitting in the county that’s home to the state capital of Helena, noted that registering on Election Day is \u201cwildly popular.\u201d Montana has allowed it since 2006, and in 2014,<\/a> 57% of voters rejected a statewide ballot initiative to end it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe undisputed record demonstrates that a substantial number of Montana voters rely on Election Day registration, including during afternoon hours,\u201d Larsen wrote. \u201cThe record further establishes that some voters will be unable to register prior to noon due to work schedules, travel constraints, polling place hours or unforeseen registration issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s office expressed disappointment in the ruling.<\/p>\n \u201cUnrestricted voter registration on Election Day puts a undue burden on Montana\u2019s election administrators who have very important jobs ensuring our elections are secure and run smoothly,\u201d spokesperson Chase Scheuer said in an email.<\/p>\n But Larsen rejected the state’s argument that the law would make administering elections easier, saying local election officials would handle voting in federal races differently from state and local races. <\/p>\n Montana polling places for at least 400 voters must remain open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, but those for fewer voters don’t have to open until noon, something Larsen noted. <\/p>\n The judge said Native American voters face \u201cunique barriers\u201d to voting, including long travel distances and limited access to transportation. Students and other young voters face obstacles to registering because of \u201cscheduling constraints\u201d and because they move more frequently, he wrote. <\/p>\n Amanda Curtis, the Montana public employees group’s president, said its lawsuit defended \u201cthe fundamental right of every voice to be heard\u201d from \u201coverreaching politicians.\u201d<\/p>\n The group and the tribes also challenged changes in a state law specifying which IDs students can show at the polls to register and vote, but Larsen concluded that they couldn’t show that anyone had been prevented from voting because of them. Scheuer said the changes \u201cbolster the integrity of Montana elections.\u201d<\/p>\n