HELENA, Mont. – Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen joined 14 other Secretaries of State in signing a letter urging President Biden to rescind Executive Order No. 14019.

The letter explained how the Executive Order (EO) was issued without Constitutional authority and Congressional approval. The EO inserts federal agencies into the states’ electoral processes, producing duplicate registrations, complicating the jobs of state and local election officials, and creating confusion.

The letter also stated the EO “would also erode the responsibility and duties of the state legislatures.” 

“As the supreme law of the land, the Constitution clearly says the state legislatures shall (emphasis added) prescribe the way elections are run, and that if any adjustments need to be made, such adjustments are the province of Congress, not the Executive branch,” wrote the secretaries, who serve as chief election officials for their respective states.

Secretary Jacobsen sent the letter to President Biden with West Virginia Secretary Mac Warner, Alabama Secretary John Merrill, Arkansas Secretary John Thurston, Florida Secretary Cord Byrd, Georgia Secretary Brad Raffensperger, Idaho Secretary Lawerence Denney, Indiana Secretary Holli Sullivan, Louisiana Secretary Kyle Ardoin, Mississippi Secretary Michael Watson, Nebraska Secretary Bob Evnen, Ohio Secretary Frank LaRose, South Dakota Secretary Steve Barnett, Tennessee Secretary Tre Hargett, and Wyoming Secretary Ed Buchanan.

The secretaries’ full letter to the president may be found here.