Ballot Initiatives
WTF is a ballot initiative?
There are many different types of ballot initiatives. They all have one thing in common: they are proposed laws that can be passed or rejected by voters (that’s you!). In Montana, any person or group can propose a ballot initiative or constitutional amendment. If they pass a legal review and gather enough signatures, that proposal will appear on the ballot. That is how CI-126, CI-127, and CI-128 got on the ballot this year!
Ballot Initiatives
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CI-126
CI-126 creates a top 4 open primary, meaning all qualified candidates of all parties would appear on one single ballot in June and all voters would have the freedom to choose between them, regardless of party. The top four candidates would then move on to the November election, where voters would choose between them.
A yes vote on CI-126 means:
You support establishing open primaries in Montana, giving voters better choices on the ballot and the freedom to vote for the person, not the party.A no vote on CI-126 means:
You believe voters should be forced to choose one party’s ballot to vote in primary elections, restricting their choices. -
CI-127
CI-127 works in tandem with CI-126, requiring candidates to receive 50% + 1 of the vote in order to win a General election instead of electing candidates who simply win the largest number of votes, as is current law. This measure would ensure that candidates have to appeal to a majority of their constituents by earning the support of over 50% of voters. This initiative would apply to all constitutional offices: governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state representative, state senator, United States representative, and United States senator.
A yes vote on CI-127 means:
Our elected officials will work to earn support from a broad majority of all voters in the state or their districts, instead of a narrow few.A no vote on CI-127 means:
Candidates in Montana can win a general election simply by having more votes than their opponent, but not necessarily a majority. -
CI-128
CI-128 would protect the constitutional right to make personal medical decisions about pregnancy and abortion. It prohibits the government from interfering in reproductive decisions and abortion, especially when the patient’s life is at risk and their health care professional deems it medically necessary.
A yes vote on CI-128 means:
You support a person’s right to make their own private decisions about a pregnancy and believe that abortion should remain protected in the Montana State Constitution.A no vote on CI-128 means:
You oppose a person’s right to make their own decision about a pregnancy and believe that Montana should not have explicit protections for abortion in the Montana State Constitution.