{"id":2031,"date":"2023-05-09T16:25:53","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T16:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riteusa.org\/redesign\/?p=2031"},"modified":"2023-07-22T05:46:39","modified_gmt":"2023-07-22T05:46:39","slug":"in-montana-rite-urges-state-supreme-court-to-back-voter-id-requirement-paid-ballot-harvesting-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riteusa.org\/in-montana-rite-urges-state-supreme-court-to-back-voter-id-requirement-paid-ballot-harvesting-ban\/","title":{"rendered":"IN MONTANA, RITE URGES STATE SUPREME COURT TO BACK VOTER ID REQUIREMENT, PAID BALLOT HARVESTING BAN"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 RITE is returning to the Montana Supreme Court in support of the state\u2019s commonsense voting laws, including a paid ballot harvesting ban and voter photo ID law. On Monday, RITE filed its second friend of the court brief<\/a> in this case, Montana Democratic Party v. Jacobsen, arguing that state and federal law gives the state\u2019s legislature ample authority to enact legislation that regulates the voting process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As RITE explained, absent a grave burden imposed upon the fundamental rights of Montana\u2019s citizens, the courts should not second-guess lawmakers working to protect the integrity and efficiency of the voting process. Doing so is undemocratic and harmful to the voter confidence that lies at the foundation of our elections. Under the proper analysis, policies like photo voter ID are clearly lawful. Unfortunately, at the urging of activist plaintiffs, a lower court applied the wrong legal standard and struck down four democratically enacted voting laws, dissolving the power of Montana voters to regulate their own elections. RITE is working to correct that error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis case is another example of activists trying to undermine state election laws,\u201d said Derek Lyons, President and CEO of RITE. \u201cTheir legal argument is inconsistent with state and federal law and fails to recognize the appropriate role of elected legislators in administering elections. This is an intentional effort to undo democratically enacted election safeguards that voters want and believe are important to their ultimate confidence in the electoral process. The courts should not allow themselves to be made a party to this partisan, undemocratic agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The case began in 2021 when plaintiffs, including those backed by activist attorney Marc Elias, challenged four Montana laws: HB176, setting a registration deadline of noon the day before election day; SB169, establishing that student IDs may not be used as the primary ID for voting; HB530, eliminating for-hire ballot harvesting; and HB506, prohibiting absentee ballots from being sent to individuals before they become eligible to vote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n