WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, February 13, a Montana state court granted a preliminary injunction blocking Montana’s House Bill 413, a law that imposed heightened residency requirements on college students, effectively preventing students from registering to vote in their county of residence. Elias Law Group attorneys filed a lawsuit challenging the law on behalf of the Montana Public Interest Research Group (MontPIRG).
The ruling in Montana Public Interest Research Group v. Jacobsen found that the law “impermissibly interferes” with students’ fundamental right to vote under the Montana Constitution.
HB 413, signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte in May 2025, required anyone in Montana for “temporary purposes,” such as attending college, to declare their intention to make the state their permanent home after graduation in order to register to vote. The law forced students to predict where they would live years into the future, a requirement not imposed on any other Montana voter.
“Today’s ruling is a powerful victory for student voters across Montana,” said Elias Law Group partner Abha Khanna. “College students live, work, study, and pay taxes in their communities, and they have every right to vote in them. HB 413 is an unconstitutional attempt to silence young voters. We are proud to represent MontPIRG in this fight to ensure that no student is forced to choose between pursuing an education and participating in our democracy.”
In a comprehensive 33-page order, District Court Judge Jason Marks found that MontPIRG is likely to succeed on the merits of its constitutional claims against HB 413. The court also found that some students have been disenfranchised entirely by this law.
“MontPIRG has demonstrated that, in some cases, HB 413 bars certain subgroups from voting anywhere,” Judge Marks wrote.
Click HERE to read the full order.
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