A group of Republican state attorneys general has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over an executive order aimed at expanding access to voter registration. The lawsuit targets an order issued by President Joe Biden in March 2021, directing federal agencies to promote voter registration and participation through various public points of contact.
The lawsuit, filed by nine Republican attorneys general, argues that Biden overstepped his authority with the directive, claiming it violates the US Constitution and undermines state voter registration systems. The states allege that the order seeks to turn federal agencies into voter registration organizations and politicizes interactions between bureaucrats and the public.
The lawsuit highlights specific agency initiatives, such as the Treasury Department's plan to include voter registration information in benefit payment campaigns and the Department of Agriculture's efforts to provide voter information through its lending programs.
The states involved in the lawsuit are Montana, Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. The case has been assigned to US District Judge Daniel Crabtree, appointed by former President Barack Obama.
When the executive order was announced, a Biden administration official emphasized the goal of maximizing voter registration access through federal agency services. The administration aims to make registering to vote and voting as easy as possible, particularly through walk-in services offered by various agencies.
This lawsuit is not the first legal challenge to Biden's executive order, with a previous case brought by Pennsylvania state lawmakers being dismissed earlier this year. The plaintiffs in the Pennsylvania case have sought to revive their lawsuit at the US Supreme Court.
