Bill > SB42

This bill fundamentally changes judicial elections in Montana by allowing partisan elections for judges and justices, which were previously non-partisan. Specifically, the bill requires Supreme Court justices, district court judges, justices of the peace, and municipal court judges to be nominated and elected on partisan ballots, with each judicial office considered a separate and independent election. Independent judicial candidates will now be required to participate in a primary election similar to party-affiliated candidates, and to advance to the general election, an independent candidate must receive at least 5% of the total votes cast for the least successful candidate in the most recent primary. The bill also allows judicial candidates to accept endorsements from political parties and removes previous restrictions on political party contributions to judicial candidates. The proposed changes stem from legislative feedback that voters lack sufficient information about judicial candidates and that the current system may lead to excessive influence from wealthy special interest groups. The bill aims to increase transparency and provide voters with more context about judicial candidates by introducing party affiliations into judicial elections, following the model of other states that have long-standing partisan judicial election systems.

Justice

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/20251/LC1506