AARP has joined those fighting a Montana ballot measure that would end the practice of allowing voters to register on Election Day. The non-profit advocacy group for older Americans claims 37 million members nationwide. Its national board president was in Billings yesterday to advocate for easier voting access. Jeannine English doesn’t mince words when speaking against Legislative Referendum 126. “It’s a form of voter suppression.” She calls this ballot measure an out-of-state-crafted solution looking for a problem. English is from Sacramento, CA. She has expertise in election issues, including: campaign finance reform and government integrity. Earlier this year she was named the national president of AARP. She says it’s important for older Americans to be involved in the Democratic process. She’s worried measures like LR-126 would limit the number of people who can vote.
“And we think our responsibility is to make sure that everyone has the freedom to vote and that voting is easy. That’s our constitutional right. That’s the democracy that we live in. We live in the greatest democracy and and we should want to extend it to the greatest number of people. And that’s why we believe that voters should vote no on LR-126. ”
For the past 9 years, Montanans have been able to register to vote and vote on Election Day.
The Republican-controlled 2013 Montana Legislature opted in the waning days of the session to place the issue before voters and avoided a potential veto by Democratic Governor Steve Bullock.
Full Article: AARP Joins Fight To Preserve Same-Day Voter Registration In Montana | MTPR.