Republican Seeks to Build Barriers to Democracy

Helena, Mont.--Jim Elliott, Chairman of the Montana Democratic Party, released the following statement on HB 180, which would make it more difficult for all Montanans to vote:

"The right to vote is the most fundamental right in a democracy; a right that Americans have given their lives to secure and to protect. Now, Representative Champ Edmunds III wants to chop a month off the time Montanans can register to vote.

This bill is an assault on democracy. Legislators should do everything they can to make it easier--not harder--for Montanans to vote. Unfortunately, this bill does the exact opposite, and adds additional barriers to voting, and would result in lower voter turnout.

We should work to help every legal voter take part in our electoral system. This bill is a giant step in the wrong direction. Let's promote democracy, not build bureaucracy."

If this bill were in place in 2010, more than 8200 general election voters in Montanan, from throughout the state would have been prohibited from voting.