Missouri, Arkansas secretaries of state sue Biden admin over 'Bidenbucks'

The Missouri and Arkansas secretaries of state have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over "Bidenbucks," an executive order directing federal agencies to promote voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts, claiming it is "unconstitutional."

The Republican secretaries of state sued the administration on Wednesday, arguing that federal violations were committed by President Biden’s Executive Order 14019 from March 2021.

Critics often refer to the order as “Bidenbucks,” which alludes to "Zuckerbucks," the approximately $400 million from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg widely alleged to have been funneled through left-leaning nonprofits to turn out the Democratic vote in the 2020 presidential election.

“The head of each agency shall evaluate ways in which the agency can, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, promote voter registration and voter participation,” including "soliciting and facilitating approved, nonpartisan third-party organizations and State officials to provide voter registration services on agency premises," the executive order states.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said in a statement Thursday regarding the lawsuit, “Missouri has a robust and effective election system in place, and it is the responsibility of the states, not the federal government, to manage voter registration and election procedures. This executive order undermines state sovereignty and threatens the integrity of our elections. This legal action is not about partisan politics; it is about maintaining the balance of power between the states and the federal government as intended by our Founding Fathers.”

Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston and two local Missouri election officials are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

The filing argues, "President Biden’s executive order is unconstitutional and contrary to federal law," and lists four examples.

According to the lawsuit, the executive order "is an executive order of the President without any congressional authorization in violation of the Separation of Powers ... imposes burdens and costs upon state and local government to respond to this federally mandated election scheme in violation of constitutional principles of federalism ... violates the Elections Clause of the Constitution ... [and] directs federal executive branch employees to violate the Hatch Act."