Palmetto State News

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a coalition of nine attorneys general in challenging the Biden-Harris administration’s voter registration scheme, which they argue unlawfully transforms federal agencies into voter registration organizations and jeopardizes the integrity of elections.

Executive Order 14019, signed by President Biden in 2021, directs federal agencies to use funds allocated by Congress for voter registration activities. The lawsuit contends that this directive exceeds federal authority and infringes upon powers primarily reserved for states by Congress and the United States Constitution.

“I swore to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and this order from the Biden-Harris administration violates both,” said Attorney General Wilson. “Federal agencies cannot take money that Congress allocated and use it for improper purposes, and the Constitution primarily gives the states the authority to regulate voter registration.”

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, seeks to have Executive Order 14019 declared unconstitutional and unlawful. It also requests an injunction to prevent all federal agencies from implementing its directives.

Specific examples cited include actions by the U.S. Department of Justice to register imprisoned felons without public notice or comment—a policy illegal in many states—and efforts by the Department of Treasury to promote voter registration through direct deposit campaigns targeting recipients of Social Security, Veterans Affairs benefits, and other federal payments.

The coalition argues that EO 14019 oversteps executive authority under federal law, violates constitutional provisions, undermines state-regulated voter registration systems, and could affect various levels of elections across states.

Attorneys general from Iowa, South Dakota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma joined Attorney General Wilson in this legal challenge led by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.

For more information on this case or to read the full lawsuit document [click here](#).