Montana judge knocks down Republicans’ tighter voting laws

By MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Montana judge has struck down as unconstitutional three laws that restricted voting, saying there was no evidence of the widespread voter fraud the 2021 Republican-sponsored laws were ostensibly targeting. The laws ended same-day voter registration, imposed new identification rules on student voters, and restricted third-party ballot collections. Native American tribes argued the student ID and ballot-collection measures had a disproportionate effect on reservations, where many people live far from polling places and are dealing with poverty and other challenges. Judge Michael Moses said the sponsors of the laws showed no proof that voter fraud was a problem.