The Trump Justice Department has moved to file a legal brief in support of Wyoming’s new voter registration law that took effect last week, which requires proof of U.S. citizenship and 30 days of Wyoming residency.
The law was challenged in May by a coalition of nonprofit groups. Plaintiffs argue it will disproportionately burden groups such as women and transgender individuals trying to register to vote.
On Tuesday, Acting U.S. Attorney for Wyoming Stephanie Sprecher submitted a motion seeking to file an amicus brief defending Secretary of State Chuck Gray’s enforcement of the statute. The Justice Department’s filing argues that the United States has a “substantial interest” in the constitutional questions at stake, particularly under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Citing the Constitution’s Elections Clause, the department argues states have the power to regulate the “times, places, and manner” of elections. The proposed brief contends that minor burdens—such as obtaining identification—do not outweigh the state’s legitimate interest in preventing voter fraud or meaningfully obstruct the right to vote.
