Under the new law, students attending Montana universities may be barred from registering to vote where they actually live, simply because they can’t promise to stay there after graduation.

MontPIRG has launched a bold and urgent legal challenge that could shape the future of voting rights in Montana. Last week, we filed a lawsuit against the State of Montana and Secretary of State over a newly enacted law that threatens to disenfranchise tens of thousands of Montana college students.

Our complaint is in response to House Bill 413, a sweeping measure signed into law earlier this month that imposes inappropriate, unfair, and unconstitutional residency restrictions on Montana students — effectively forcing them to choose between their education and their fundamental right to vote.

We contend that HB 413 introduces  vague and punitive language describing “temporary” residency that will create a chilling effect on student participation in local and state elections. Under the new law, students attending Montana universities may be barred from registering to vote where they actually live, simply because they can’t promise to stay there after graduation. This requirement violates both the U.S. and Montana constitutions.

The implications are stark. For example, a high school graduate from Sidney, Montana, who moves to Bozeman, Butte, Billings, Havre, Dillon, or Missoula to earn a college degree would have to swear — under penalty of perjury — that she plans to stay in her college town after earning her degree in order to vote there. That’s not just an unreasonable burden — it’s an impossible one.

College students who live, work, pay taxes, and contribute to Montana communities must have a voice in the decisions that shape their lives. This new law is an attempt to silence Montana students.

Montana students are not visitors. They are not tourists. They are our neighbors, our friends, and our colleagues. They are Montanans. This new law targets Montana college students and is nothing more than voter suppression.

MontPIRG will not stay quiet while the rights of Montana students are being threatened. Our message has been consistent for 45 years: Montana students contribute to the health and vibrancy of their communities. Their voices matter.  And, they have a right to vote for candidates and policy that affect their lives.

Please help us fight this injustice with your contribution now.

Make a contribution here!

With continued public support, MontPIRG will stand up to advocate for a healthier, more inclusive, more just, and more resilient Montana.

Onward!
Dean