Department of Justice in the US Expresses Stance in Legal Dispute Concerning Wyoming's HB 156 Lawsuit
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has entered the fray in a legal dispute over Wyoming's voting process, siding with the state in a lawsuit challenging its requirement for documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) to register to vote.
The lawsuit, Equality State Policy Center vs. Chuck Gray, centres on the regulation of voter registration in Wyoming. The state's House Bill 156 (HB 156) mandates that qualified voters must provide DPOC to register. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a Statement of Interest in the case, emphasising the importance of maintaining the integrity of voter registration processes and the constitutional republic.
The DOJ's argument is based on Wyoming's constitutional authority to regulate voting and its interest in ensuring election integrity without imposing an undue burden on the right to vote. The DPOC requirement, they argue, is reasonable, nondiscriminatory, and does not impose an unconstitutional burden on voters.
Michael Gates, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, has emphasised the importance of this requirement, stating that it is common sense and ensures that only citizens vote. He also reiterated that it is a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections.
The Justice Department's involvement in the lawsuit suggests a federal interest in Wyoming's voting process and the enforcement of laws that protect the integrity of the vote. The Civil Rights Division, through its Voting Section, is responsible for enforcing the civil provisions of several federal statutes related to voting, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
In opposing challenges to the law, Wyoming’s Secretary of State Chuck Gray argues that the law is a "common-sense, conservative election integrity measure" that satisfies even a light standard of constitutional review because of Wyoming's legitimate interest in voter integrity. The Republican National Committee has also intervened to defend the law, citing the necessity of maintaining voter confidence in the legitimacy of Wyoming's elections.
In summary, the legal justification rests on Wyoming’s constitutional authority to regulate elections, the state's legitimate interest in ensuring election integrity and preventing voter fraud, the argument that requiring DPOC is reasonable, nondiscriminatory, and does not impose an undue constitutional burden on voters, and support from the U.S. Department of Justice affirming these points in their Statement of Interest filed in the federal court case. This justification forms the basis of Wyoming's defense in the litigation brought by the Equality State Policy Center challenging the constitutionality of HB 156.
The ongoing lawsuit, Equality State Policy Center vs. Chuck Gray, delves into the realm of policy-and-legislation, specifically the regulation of voter registration in Wyoming. The involved politics have led to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filing a Statement of Interest, highlighting its involvement in the case and its support for Wyoming's general-news-worthy House Bill 156, which mandates the provision of documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) for voter registration.
