Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has led a coalition of attorneys general in challenging the Biden-Harris administration’s voter registration initiative. The coalition argues that Executive Order 14019, signed by President Biden in 2021, unlawfully directs federal agencies to engage in voter registration activities using funds allocated by Congress.
Knudsen asserts that the federal government oversteps its authority with this executive order, as voter registration is primarily a state responsibility under Congressional and Constitutional provisions. "Fair elections are an essential part of our country’s Republic. Congress gave the states the power to oversee elections years ago," said Knudsen. "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 lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. It seeks a declaration from the court that Executive Order 14019 is unconstitutional and unlawful, and requests an injunction preventing any federal agency from implementing it.
Among specific concerns raised, Knudsen highlighted actions such as the U.S. Department of Justice registering imprisoned felons to vote without public notice or comment, which conflicts with laws in many states like Montana where felons are prohibited from voting. Additionally, he noted that the Department of Treasury plans to include voter registration information in direct deposit campaigns for recipients of Social Security, Veterans Affairs benefits, and other federal payments.
The coalition contends that EO 14019 exceeds executive authority under federal law, violates constitutional principles, threatens state regulation of voter registration, and undermines state-established voter registration systems impacting all levels of elections.
Attorneys general from Kansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and South Dakota have joined Attorney General Knudsen in filing this lawsuit.