A Montana judge has blocked the state from restricting voter registration on Election Day, concluding that the move would disproportionately harm Native American voters and young people.
The ruling blocks enforcement of a law enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature last year that would have prevented voters from casting ballots in the presidential, U.S. Senate and U.S. House races if they registered by the afternoon of Election Day. It was the second time in five years that lawmakers tried to steer clear of Election Day filings.
District Judge Adam Larsen’s order, issued late Friday, is scheduled to remain in effect during the trial of a lawsuit brought by the Montana Union of Public Employees, which was later joined by Native American tribes, including the Blackfeet and Northern Cheyenne. However, the state’s primary election is June 2, and the trial will not take place until late August.
Larsen, who sits in the district that includes the state capital, Helena, noted that Election Day registration is “very popular.” Montana has allowed this since 2006, and In 2014, 57% of voters rejected the statewide ballot initiative to end it.
“The undisputed record shows that a significant number of Montana voters rely on registration on Election Day, including during the afternoon hours,” Larsen wrote. “The record also demonstrates that some voters will be unable to register before noon due to work schedules, travel restrictions, polling place hours, or unforeseen registration issues.”
The office of Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen expressed disappointment in the ruling.
“Unrestricted voter registration on Election Day places an undue burden on Montana election administrators who have very important jobs ensuring our elections are secure and run smoothly,” spokesman Chase Scheuer said in an email.
But Larsen rejected the state’s argument that the law would make running elections easier, saying local election officials would treat voting in federal races differently than in state and local races.
Larsen noted that polls in Montana with at least 400 voters must remain open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, but polls designated for a smaller number of voters do not have to open until noon.
The judge said Native American voters face “unique barriers” to voting, including long travel distances and limited access to transportation. He wrote that students and other young voters face barriers to registering because of “scheduling constraints” and because they move frequently.
Amanda Curtis, president of the Montana Public Employees Group, said her lawsuit defended “the fundamental right of every voice to be heard” from “overreaching politicians.”
The group and tribes also opposed changes to state law limiting the IDs students can show at the polls to register and vote, but Larsen concluded they could not prove that anyone had been prevented from voting because of them. Scheuer said the changes “strengthen the integrity of Montana elections.”
In 2021, the legislature He issued a law Voter registration ended at noon the day before Election Day, but the Montana Supreme Court invalidated it in 2024 as a violation of an “unambiguous, fundamental right” protected by the state constitution. The justices said that more than 70,000 voters in Montana have benefited from Election Day registration since its inception.
Before lawmakers enacted the latest law in 2025, their staff warned in a memo that the measure could conflict with a 2024 Supreme Court decision.