Democrats sue over Montana law GOP used to disenfranchise young voters

[turbinetree]

By Emily Singer -October 12, 2021 4:16 PM

The lawsuit calls a ban on political activity in college campus buildings a 'surgical attack' against youth participation in elections.

Democrats in Montana filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against a law they say is a "surgical attack" on young voters in the state.

The law, S.B. 319, bans political groups from conducting "any voter identification efforts, voter registration drives, signature collection efforts, ballot collection efforts, or voter turnout efforts for a federal, state, local, or school election inside a residence hall, dining facility, or athletic facility operated by a public postsecondary institution."

The lawsuit says the new ban on political activity is a violation of the First Amendment's guarantee of the right to free speech and the 26th Amendment's extension of the franchise to 18-year-olds and guarantee that the right to vote will not be abridged on the basis of age. The suit asks that enforcement of the law be blocked as the suit makes its way through the courts.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.

https://americanindependent.com/democrats-lawsuit-montana-republicans-young-voters-registration-ban-surgical-attack-greg-gianforte/

And just for the record this is the same "guy" that attacked a news reporter....and should have had his ass thrown in jail....

[Mysterian]

1. Montana has turned into a political shit-hole

I can't believe people vote for scumbags like Gianforte and Rosendale.

[montanaliberaldem]

5. Neither can a lot of Montanans

This state used to be a healthy mix of red and blue voters who could agree on good candidates but no more. We elected Jeanette Rankin, Mike Mansfield, Max Baucus and John Tester after all. Republicans swept all key races in spite of some excellent Democrats running and still they complain about a stolen election. We have elected idiots in every major state office. The actions of the state legislature are cruel and horrifying but not at all surprising. If Steve Bullock can't beat Steve Daines - who has done nothing for Montanans - and we keep Matt Rosendale, that says all you need to know about the current majority of voters in Montana. I don't see a change anytime soon.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

2. Absolutely unconstonstituional!

[gratuitous]

4. Yeah, but they'll just keep coming back to it

After all, the cost of defending this unconstitutional law falls on all the taxpayers of Montana, and barely touches the Republican politicians who enacted it. It certainly doesn't cost these elected officeholders any significant support. And when a court finally drives a stake through the heart of this law (probably after at least one possibly two or three election cycles), they'll complain about activist judges and set it all up again with a slight tweak. And why shouldn't they? Beats having to establish a record of responsible governance so long as you can win a plurality of votes in any given election.

[ShazzieB]

3. I hadn't heard about this law, but It sounds like complete horse pucky.

Glad to hear the Montana Democrats are suing. What a crock!

[MontanaMama]

6. Gianforte continues his thug ways.

He MUST go. Same with Matt Rosendale and Steve Daines. Montana has gone down the drain since the last election.

[2naSalit]

7. One of tfg wannabes...

Only nobody is paying attention to Montana unless they want to go on vacation or move to a rural red state. The inflow of humpers is astounding lately and freaks me out enough to go to another region because these asshole will start a water war to begin with because their shithole attitudes toward the environment will crash this ecosystem in a very short time which will disrupt water to two thirds of the country.

I think they cheated somehow, can't prove it and don't know how they did it but I think they cheated somehow. But that's just me.

[ratchiweenie]

8. I moved back to Montana only to find it had taken a hard right turn. It's truly disgusting.