Federal Judge Rebukes Trump Campaign for Trying to Suppress Mail Voting

Today, a federal court has denied an attempt by the Trump campaign to suppress mail voting in Montana. The court upheld Montana Governor Steve Bullock's directive allowing the state's counties to proceed with conducting vote-by-mail elections this November--which 46 of Montana's 56 counties have chosen to do. The order rebuked the Trump campaign's contention that there would be widespread voter fraud in the upcoming election, saying: "this allegation, specifically in Montana, is a fiction." Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is representing the League of Women Voters of Montana as a friend-of-the-court in the case, called Trump v. Bullock, successfully arguing that Governor Bullock's Directive was a lawful exercise of his authority to make Montana's elections as safe and accessible as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our most important right as Americans is the right to vote and America should ensure that every eligible citizen has a convenient way to vote in the election," said Paul Smith, vice president at Campaign Legal Center (CLC). "Absentee and mail voting are important ways to ensure that seniors and others at high risk from COVID-19 can safely participate in the election and have their vote counted."

The ability to conduct elections by mail proved critical during this year's primary elections in Montana, and the counties should not be prohibited from doing so again this fall. In his order, the judge wrote that Montana's use of mail ballots during the June 2020 primary election did not give rise to a single report of voter fraud. Vote-by-mail is safe and secure, and the existing directive allows local officials to conduct their elections in a safe and secure manner that best fits their communities and benefits all Montana voters.