Updated: OK Attorney General Mike Hunter Friday released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to deny hearing the Texas lawsuit.
“I remain committed to election security and will continue to work to ensure other states uphold their responsibility to conduct free, fair and constitutional elections. I’m hopeful that the United States Supreme Court will take the opportunity in pending cases to reestablish that principle.”
Attorney General Mike Hunter Wednesday signed on to a brief in support of the Texas attorney general’s lawsuit against the states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin, challenging the 2020 election results in those states.
In his lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims these states are in violation of the Electors Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and asks the U.S. Supreme Court to require the states to hold a special election or select a new set of electors for their electoral college votes.
“I am firmly committed to election security, which is why we have already been involved in numerous lawsuits to combat eleventh hour efforts to change state voting laws in states across the country,” Attorney General Hunter said. “I regret that the U.S. Supreme Court is the only forum available to resolve the many legitimate concerns regarding state elections. That is why I am joining the amicus brief in support of the Texas case, to encourage the highest court in the land to thoughtfully consider and address the matters presented.”
In addition to Oklahoma, the brief was signed by 16 other attorneys general.
“The allegations in the Bill of Complaint raise important constitutional issues under the Electors Clause,” attorneys general write. “They also raise serious concerns relating to election integrity and public confidence in elections. These are questions of great public importance that warrant this Court’s attention. The Court should grant the Plaintiff’s Motion for Leave to File Bill of Complaint.”
Read the brief, here: https://bit.ly/3gxPQDS.
Defense of State Voting Laws Around the Country
After hundreds of lawsuits in almost every state sought to change voting laws during the 2020 election, Attorney General Hunter argued and won favorable rulings in numerous states, including Oklahoma.
In Pennsylvania, the attorney general filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging a court decision rewriting Pennsylvania’s absentee ballot receipt deadline.
In Georgia, Attorney General Hunter led a coalition of 19 states supporting Georgia’s law requiring, like Oklahoma, that all absentee ballots be received by Election Day. The appeals court agreed and reinstated Georgia’s ballot receipt deadline for use in the 2020 election.
The attorney general also made similar arguments in other states, leading a 17-state coalition in support of Indiana’s absentee ballot receipt deadline and an 18-state coalition in support of Pennsylvania’s deadline earlier at the Supreme Court.
The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld Indiana’s deadline.
In Alabama, Attorney General Hunter led a 15-state coalition in support of Alabama’s laws that require witnesses or notary signatures to verify the identity of voters casting absentee ballots.
The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit agreed and allowed Alabama’s verification law to continue during the November 2020 election.