A group of red state attorneys general has filed a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s directive for federal agencies to register voters.
The federal complaint claims that President Biden has directed agencies to use money allocated by Congress to register people to vote, allowing the executive branch to participate in a voting campaign.
At issue is an executive order signed by Mr. Biden in 2021 that the White House said is aimed at promoting access to voting. Executive Order 14019 directs agencies to facilitate voting registration and aid voters in learning how to vote by mail, among other ways to cast ballots.
According to the lawsuit, the Department of Justice is allegedly registering imprisoned felons to vote.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, a Republican, says that is unlawful in his state, where felons can’t legally vote.
“Fair elections are an essential part of our country’s Republic. Congress gave the states the power to oversee elections years ago,” Mr. Knudsen said. “I will not stand by while the Biden-Harris administration attempts to shamelessly garner votes by employing its own agencies to register voters and disregard states’ own voter registration systems, putting the integrity of our elections at risk.”
The 41-page complaint was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. Kansas, South Carolina, Iowa, Mississippi, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska and Oklahoma joined Montana in bringing the lawsuit.
“Through Executive Order 14019 […] President Biden has sought to convert the federal bureaucracy into a voter registration organization and to turn every interaction between a federal bureaucrat and a member of the public into a voter registration pitch,” the complaint reads. “That exceeds any authority executive entities have under federal law, violates the Constitution, threatens States’ attempt to regulate voter registration, and thus ultimately undermines the voter registration systems set up by the States.”
The states have asked the court to rule the executive order unlawful and block its implementation, roughly 80 days before the November elections.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the litigation.
A spokesperson from the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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