HELENA, Mont. – On Thursday, April 29, 2021, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed to law Senate Bill 350, sponsored by Sen. Greg Hertz (R, SD-6) and requested by Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen. SB 350 is an act generally revising election laws related to minor parties.
The new law creates hard deadlines, including when an elector may withdraw the elector’s signature from a petition. It also creates a clear timeline with deadlines for county and state duties, including certification of a minor party petition with enough time for candidates to register as a minor party candidate.
Additionally, the new law fixed minor party disclosure rules to ensure that opponents of a minor party petition comply with the same disclosure rules that previously only applied to supporters of a minor party petition.
“This bill was another priority bill during the 67th Montana State Legislature,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “State and county election officials need to have finality and a clear process to perform their important administrative duties during an election year.”
“SB 350 provides a comprehensive revision of Montana’s outdated and problematic minor party petition laws,” said Sen. Hertz. “Moving forward, Montana will be able to rely on a clear framework and timeline for every party involved.”