State of Montana

Montana Voter Suppression Bills (Montana Youth Action)

Montana Youth Action v. Jacobsen

Lawsuit filed on behalf of Montana Youth Action, the Forward Montana Foundation and the Montana Public Interest Research Group against Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen (R) challenging three voter suppression laws that the plaintiffs argue target young voters. Senate Bill 169 limits the use of acceptable voter IDs, requiring student IDs to be accompanied by another ID; House Bill 506 prohibits the mailing of ballots to new voters who will be eligible to vote on Election Day but are not yet 18 and House Bill 176 eliminates Election Day voter registration for nearly all voters. The complaint argues that these laws violate the Montana Constitution by restricting the right to vote, disproportionately burdening young and indigent voters and discriminating against young voters. The case was consolidated with Montana Democratic Party v. Jacobsen; all future filings and updates can be found on that case page.

Case Documents

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