Civic Engagement Groups Seek to Intervene in Challenge to Executive Order on Voter Registration
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Kristi Gross media@aclutx.orgShannon Augustus saugustus@lwv.org
Amarillo, Texas — The League of Women Voters of the United States, Black Voters Matter, and Naeva (formerly known as Native American Voters Alliance) moved today to intervene on behalf of voters in a lawsuit before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, America First Policy Institute v. Biden, case no. 2:24-cv-00152-Z (N.D. Texas). The pending lawsuit seeks to enjoin implementation of Executive Order no. 14019 (“Executive Order”) and make it more difficult to register to vote. The League of Women Voters of the United States, Black Voters Matter, and Naeva intend to defend the Executive Order.
The Executive Order was first issued by President Biden on March 7, 2021, with the purpose to “protect and promote the exercise of the right to vote, eliminate discrimination and other barriers to voting, and expand access to voter registration and accurate election information” and “ensure that registering to vote and the act of voting be made simple and easy for all those eligible to do so.”
The Executive Order has stood for over three years, including through the entire 2022 election cycle. Yet now, ahead of the 2024 presidential election, America First Policy Institute, along with a small collection of legislators, several state or local Republican party officials, and four election administrators seek to halt nonpartisan efforts to promote voter registration for eligible Americans. This week they filed an emergency motion asking the court to stop the federal government from providing voter registration services this election that hundreds of thousands of Americans from across the political spectrum seek.
The League of Women Voters of the United States, Black Voters Matter, and Naeva all have a strong commitment to expanding voter registration and engagement, and a democracy where every eligible U.S. citizen who desires to register to vote has a meaningful opportunity to actually register to vote. The opposing parties in this matter seek to disrupt the Administration’s efforts to help ensure that all eligible U.S. Citizens have an opportunity to register to vote if they choose to.
The League of Women Voters of the United States and Black Voters Matter are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Texas, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (“Advancing Justice – AAJC”), Southern Poverty Law Center, and pro bono counsel at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. Naeva is represented by the Native American Rights Fund.
Quote from parties:
“Our commitment to voters is absolute and unshakable,” said Celina Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of the League of Women Voters of the United States. “The League is a leader in protecting and defending the NVRA--and proud to support full implementation of the Executive Order--because voter registration is critical in ensuring that every voter’s voice is heard. For far too long, we’ve seen bad actors attempt to silence voters by blocking registration efforts. The League will continue to fight for and advocate for voters, because the right to vote is essential to our democracy.”
“One hundred years after the Indian Citizenship Act conferred citizenship on all Native Americans, Native people are still fighting for fair access to the ballot,” said Ahtza Chavez, Executive Director of Naeva. “For years, Native voters and organizations like Naeva have been calling for more voter registration opportunities in underserved tribal communities. It is disappointing to see lawsuits like this, which seek to use the courts to spread election disinformation in service of maintaining the barriers Native American voters face.”
“The fight for voting rights in America has been an ongoing battle for Black Voters in this country,” said April England-Albright, Legal Director of Black Voters Matter. “Voter registration has been a powerful tool to ensure the voices and desires of Black Voters and other marginalized voters are heard at the ballot box. Black Voters Matter is committed to fighting to protect the right to vote and ending voter suppression tactics, such as this lawsuit, that seek to restrict access to the ballot box and voter registration through organizing and litigation.”
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