Bill > HB597

This bill amends Montana election law to prohibit inactive electors from signing petitions. An "inactive elector" is a registered voter who has been moved to an inactive status, typically because they have not voted in recent elections or have not responded to address verification requests. The bill modifies section 13-27-102 of Montana Code Annotated to explicitly state that while petitions may only be signed by qualified electors of Montana, inactive electors are specifically barred from signing such petitions. The existing law already contained a provision preventing paid signature gathering (where petition circulators cannot be compensated based on the number of signatures collected), and this new provision adds the restriction on inactive electors. The bill includes an immediate effective date, meaning it will go into effect as soon as it is passed and approved, which could potentially impact ongoing petition efforts by preventing inactive voters from participating in the petition process.

Government Affairs

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2652