A three-judge federal appeals panel said that a law passed by Republicans in the Legislature to eliminate double-voting, something already illegal, violates the U.S. Constitution, siding with a federal judge in Montana who stopped the law.
House Bill 892 mandated that voters who remain registered in a different place show proof that they’ve removed themselves from their previous location or face criminal penalties. However, federal Montana District Court Judge Brian M. Morris said found the law was overly vague, could chill constitutionally protected activities like exercising the right to vote, and finally, was already on the books as illegal in Montana.
Since 1995, Montana has had a provision that outlaws double voting. Republicans who rallied around HB 892 said it was an additional necessary step to ensure the integrity of voting in Montana. They pointed out that there were a suspected 14 cases of double voting in Montana during the 2020 general election, according to court documents.
However, Morris said that HB 892 was overly broad and vague, leading to residents not being able to understand the law clearly, and risking criminal penalties if they didn’t comply.