RNC, Montana GOP Jump In To Defend Anti-Voting Laws

By Yunior Rivas

Thomas Francis Meagher Statue at the Montana State Capital. pabrady63/Adobe Stock

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Montana Republican Party are seeking to enter a lawsuit in support of two anti-voting laws in the state. 

In a motion filed Friday, the RNC and Montana GOP asked the court to intervene as defendants in a lawsuit brought by the Montana Federation of Public Employees, which challenges two sweeping Republican-backed restrictions on voter registration and identification.

“Voter ID and accurate voter registration are essential to secure elections,” Michael Whatley, chairman of the RNC, said in a statement. “Democrat extremists are attacking Montana’s voter ID requirements and registration safeguards.”

The plaintiffs argue that the laws violate the Montana Constitution, which guarantees the right to vote and equal protection.  

One law at issue, SB 490, shortens the window to register to vote on Election Day, cutting off access at noon when polls open. The other, SB 276, eliminates the failsafe declaration form that allowed voters without ID to cast a ballot, now requiring that any ID used to vote must be valid and unexpired.

Plaintiffs say both measures will hit rural, elderly, low-income and Native voters the hardest. These voters have to travel longer distances to register and may not have easy access to the required documents to vote. 

Republicans argue these restrictions serve “rational, legitimate, and compelling state interests,” and call for the case to be dismissed entirely.

Last month, the ACLU of Montana and four tribal nations filed a motion to intervene on behalf of Native American voters, saying the laws disproportionately block Indigenous participation in elections.

The RNC has sought to support other restrictive voting measures recently. This year alone, the party defended a ban on student IDs for voting in Indiana, a strict proof-of-citizenship law in Wyoming and President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting. In court filings, the RNC has argued that expanding voting access disadvantages GOP candidates.

The Elias Law Group (ELG) represents the plaintiffs in the case. ELG Firm Chair Marc Elias is the founder of Democracy Docket.