Three state elected officials in Mississippi are challenging a voter registration order issued by President Joe Biden.
Governor Tate Reeves, Attorney General Lynn Fitch and Secretary of State Michael Watson – all members of the Republican Party – have filed a complaint on behalf of the state against Biden’s Executive Order 14019. They believe it is an illegal attempt by federal authorities led by the White House to register voters.
The order, issued in 2021, essentially required federal agencies to develop a plan to encourage voter registration, especially in communities considered marginalized, and encourage new voters to participate in elections. Another goal of the order was for the federal government to work with states and other groups to find ways to make voting easier.
“Executive departments and agencies should work with state, local, tribal, and territorial election officials 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,” part of the order states. “It is our duty to ensure that voter registration and the act of voting are simple and straightforward for all eligible voters.”
The trio of Mississippi GOP officials, all of whom are also members of the state election board, argue that the order’s intentions may not be as pure as claimed. The elected leaders insinuated that authorities were working in lockstep with the Oval Office to register new voters who will vote exclusively for Democrats in elections.
According to the complaint, efforts by watchdog groups and others to obtain copies of federal agencies’ plans to encourage voter registration were stonewalled. Watson, who has filed Freedom of Information requests with several federal agencies, was reportedly told in a phone call between secretaries of state and the White House that those plans were never intended for public release.
Governor Tate Reeves
“This executive order is a prime example of why the Biden-Harris administration has been such a disaster. They are focused on everything but their jobs, and Americans are paying the price. Federal agencies should be focused on their core missions, not acting as an extension of the Democratic National Committee. This really shows how far the Biden-Harris administration will go to expand their power, and that’s why Mississippi will continue to fight back when they violate the law.”
Attorney General Lynn Fitch
“We fully support encouraging voter registration and fostering an engaged electorate. But to put the full weight of the Oval Office behind an effort first developed by partisan activist groups and then to hide the agency’s activities from public scrutiny is going too far. The law does not allow that. Mississippi will not tolerate it. The people deserve answers, and we are demanding accountability here with this lawsuit.”
Foreign Minister Michael Watson
“Since the day this unlawful Executive Order (EO 14019) was signed, my team and I had hoped that it would be another Biden administration word salad with no action. Unfortunately, that was not the case. In 2022, several Secretaries of State and I sent a letter to the administration urging them to resign. Our office has since looked closely at the implementation of the EO and sent FOIA requests to ensure we have enough facts to file suit and stop this absurd EO. Thankfully, that day has come! We look forward to continuing to push with all our might to stop the use of taxpayer money for illegal purposes.”
The Republican lawmakers’ lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. In addition to Mississippi, Montana, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota also joined the lawsuit.
