Skip links

Proposed 2020 Ballot Issues

2020 VIP

View the 2020 Voter Information Pamphlet PDF.

2020 VIP Print Version

Voter Information Large Format Print Version.

2020 VIP Audio Edition:
2020 VIP Braille Edition is available upon request at: [email protected] or 406-444-9608.

A citizen proposed ballot issue can only appear on the federal general election ballot once the proposed language has fulfilled three requirements. First, the language must be submitted to Montana’s Legislative Services Division. Second, the Montana Attorney General must conduct a legal review. Finally, after the review process is complete, and the sponsor has been notified by the Secretary of State of the approval or rejection of the ballot issue, the sponsor must collect sufficient verified signatures from qualified voters in Montana. Propose a ballot issue »

Initiative or referendum for the ballot – Signatures must be obtained from 5 percent of the total number of qualified voters in Montana (based on the number of votes cast for the office of governor in the last general election), including 5 percent of the voters in each of 34 legislative house districts.

Constitutional amendment by initiative – Signatures must be obtained from 10 percent of the total number of qualified voters in Montana (based on the number of votes cast for the office of governor in the last general election), including 10 percent of the voters in each of 40 legislative house districts.

C-46 (HB 244)

Subject: Constitutional amendment to change constitutional amendment signature requirements.
Type: Constitutional Amendment
Status: Legislature referred HB 244 to the 2020 General Election Ballot.  APPROVED BY VOTERS
Fiscal Note:  No Fiscal Note

C-47 (HB 245)

Subject: Constitutional amendment to revise initiative signature requirements.
Type: Constitutional Amendment
Status: Legislature referred HB 245 to the 2020 General Election Ballot.  APPROVED BY VOTERS
Fiscal Note:  No Fiscal Note

Ballot Issue #11 – CI-118

Subject: Under the Montana Constitution, a person 18 years of age or older is an adult, except that the legislature or the people by initiative may establish the legal age of purchasing, consuming, or possessing alcoholic beverages. CI-118 amends the Montana Constitution to allow the legislature or the people by initiative to establish the legal age for purchasing, consuming, or possessing marijuana.
Type: Constitutional Initiative
Submission #1: 1/13/20
Status:  Petition has been certified to appear on the November 3, 2020 General Election Ballot.  APPROVED BY VOTERS
Fiscal Note:  No Fiscal Note
Submitter:  Sherine Blackford, Treasurer New Approach Montana

LR-130 (HB 357)

Subject:  Revise concealed carry laws.
Type: Legislative Referendum
Status: Legislature referred HB 357 to the 2020 General Election Ballot.  APPROVED BY VOTERS
Fiscal Note:  No Fiscal Note

Ballot Issue #14 – I-190

Subject: I-190 legalizes the possession and use of limited amounts of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. I-190 requires the Department of Revenue to license and regulate the cultivation, transportation, and sale of marijuana and marijuana-infused products and to inspect premises where marijuana is cultivated and sold. It requires licensed laboratories to test marijuana and marijuana-infused products for potency and contaminants. I-190 establishes a 20% tax on non-medical marijuana.  10.5% of the tax revenue goes to the state general fund, with the rest dedicated to accounts for conservation programs, substance abuse treatment, veterans’ services, healthcare costs, and localities where marijuana is sold. I-190 allows a person currently serving a sentence for an act permitted by I-190 to apply for resentencing or an expungement of the conviction. I-190 prohibits advertising of marijuana and related products.
Type: Initiative
Submission #1:  2/4/20
Status:  Petition has been certified to appear on the November 3, 2020 General Election Ballot.  APPROVED BY VOTERS
Fiscal Note:  I-190 Fiscal Note
Submitter:  Sherine Blackford, Treasurer New Approach Montana

Ballot Issue #1 – I-187
Subject: Generally revise energy and taxation laws to require investor-owned electric utilities to procure more renewable electricity from sources like wind and solar, gradually equaling an 80% of sales by 2035.
Type: Initiative
Submission #1: 11/6/18 – Withdrawn 4/5/19
Submission #2: 4/5/19 – Additional information submitted 5/9/19
Status: Petition has been approved for signature gathering as of July 26, 2019.
Fiscal Note:  I-187 Fiscal Note
Submitter: Russ Doty on behalf of Rev. Ken Crouch and Karen Stears

Ballot Issue #2
Subject: Revise and amend election law by ending state recognition of political parties and Primary elections by implementing ranked choice voting in the State of Montana.
Type: Initiative
Submission #1: 12/1/18
Status:  Withdrawn on 10/29/19 due to new submission received on 10/28/19 – Ballot Issue #9.
Submitter: Steven Hurin

Ballot Issue #3
Subject: Insert new statute at MCA 25-1-112 New Section.  Requirement of Equal Procedures for Government and Private Parties.  In all state court proceedings, the time limits, filing privileges and filing deadlines for government lawyers, agencies and officials shall be equal to the time limits, filing privileges and filing deadlines for nongovernment parties and participants.  Government prosecutors and lawyers must pay the same court filing fees as nongovernmental parties.
Type: Initiative
Submission #1: 5/5/19
Status: Attorney General determined that the ballot issue is legally insufficient
Submitter: Roger Roots

Ballot Issue #4 – I-188
Subject: Establish a Vehicular Manslaughter statute.
Type: Initiative
Submission #1: 5/29/19
Status:  Petition has been approved for signature gathering as of October 15, 2019.
Fiscal Note:  I-188 Fiscal Note
Submitter: Morgen E. Hunt

Ballot Issue #5
Subject:  Marijuana Regulation Act.  “An act legalizing and regulating the use of marijuana; establishing duties of the department of revenue; revising criminal laws related to marijuana; creating a special revenue fund; providing penalties; establishing a tax on marijuana sales; providing definitions; providing for distribution of revenue from the marijuana tax to various state programs and local government entities; allowing certain municipalities, counties, and consolidated city-county governments by a vote of the electorate to adopt a local option tax on marijuana; providing a statutory appropriation for distribution of a portion of the tax to local government entities; providing rulemaking authority; amending sections and providing an immediate effective date.”
Type: Initiative
Submission #1: 6/28/19
Status: Withdrawn on 1/21/20 due to new submission received on 1/21/20 – Ballot Issue #13
Submitter:  Erica Siate

Ballot Issue #6
Subject:  A proposed Ballot Initiative for an act entitled: “The Driverless Vehicle Initiative”.  Recognize the lawfulness of driverless vehicles on Montana roadways and recognize the right of Montanans to travel, and direct their travel without government permission or license.  Allow computer aided driverless vehicles to be operated and used upon Montana highways and roadways without government permission or registration.
Type: Initiative
Submission #1:  Received on 7/3/19
Status: Waiting on modified submission from sponsor prior to sending to the Attorney General’s Office for legal sufficiency review.
Submitter:  John Lamb

Ballot Issue #7
Subject:  A proposed Ballot Initiative for an act entitled:  “Campaign Advertising Identification of the Origin of Financial Support Act of 2019.”  An act requiring the identification of all political advertising with the origin of the financial support; providing penalties; providing that the proposed act be submitted to the qualified electors of Montana; amending sections 13-35-205 and 13-37-225 and 13-37-229 MCA; adding sections 13-37-211, and 13-37-212 MCA; and providing an effective date.
Type: Initiative
Submission #1:  Received on 8/5/19
Status: Waiting on submitter response to Legislative Services correspondence.
Submitter:  Brian Leland

Ballot Issue #8 – I-189
Subject: The Fair Procedures Act.  New Section.  Section 1.  MCA is amended to read: “Requirement of Equal Procedures for Government and Private Parties. In all state court proceedings, the time limits, filing privileges and filing deadlines for government lawyers, agencies and officials shall be equal to the time limits, filing privileges and filing deadlines for nongovernment parties and participants.  Government prosecutors and lawyers must pay the same court filing fees as nongovernmental parties.”
Type: Initiative
Submission #1:  9/29/19
Status: Petition has been approved for signature gathering as of January 16th, 2020.
Fiscal Note:  I-189 Fiscal Note
Submitter:  Roger Roots

Ballot Issue #9
Subject: This petition amends election law by ending state recognition of political parties, state administration of primaries, institutes ranked choice voting, establishes the petition process already required for independent candidates to be applied to all candidates seeking to run for office, and ends the party nomination qualification for being recognized on a ballot.
Type: Initiative
Submission #1: 10/28/19
Status: Waiting on submitter response to Legislative Services correspondence.
Submitter: Steven Hurin

Ballot Issue #10
Subject:  Amends Article IV, Section 2 of the Montana constitution to define qualified electors as only individuals who are US citizens, 18 years of age or older, who have resided in Montana for at least 30 days before the election.  Only individuals who are qualified electors can vote in Montana federal, state, county,  municipal and school elections, unless the legislature by law provides an exception for a county or municipal special district election where qualification to vote is based on property ownership.  Individuals who do not meet the citizenship and residency requirements will not vote in Montana elections if the proposed initiative passes.
Type: Constitutional Initiative
Submission #1: 11/4/19
Status: Waiting on submitter response to Legislative Services correspondence.
Submitter: Christopher J. Gallus

Ballot Issue #12
Subject:  I-xxx makes limited amounts of marijuana legal for adults 21 years of age or older and regulates, controls, and taxes the commercial production and distribution of marijuana in order to eliminate the illicit market, reduce crime, provide a safe product, and raise tax revenue.  I-xxx requires that licensed testing laboratories test marijuana sold to consumers and establishes a 20% excise tax on all marijuana sold. The revenue from the tax is allocated to fund conservation, substance abuse treatment, veterans services, long-term health care, local governments, and general revenue for the state. The tax does not apply to medical marijuana. The medical marijuana tax is reduced to 1%. I-xxx maintains prohibitions on driving while impaired and does not allow distribution of marijuana to, or use by, a person less than 21 years of age.
Type: Initiative
Submission #1: 1/13/20
Status:  Withdrawn on 2/4/20 due to new submission received on 2/4/20 – Ballot Issue #14.
Submitter:  Sherine Blackford, Treasurer New Approach Montana

Ballot Issue #13
Subject: Marijuana Regulation Act. “An act legalizing and regulating the use of marijuana; removing marijuana from the Montana controlled substances act; establishing duties of the Department of Revenue, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality; creating a special revenue fund; providing penalties; establishing a tax on marijuana sales; providing definitions; providing for distribution of revenue from the marijuana tax to various state programs and local government entities; allowing certain municipalities, counties, and consolidated city-county governments by a vote of the electorate to adopt a local option tax on marijuana; prohibiting local governments from banning marijuana businesses, establishing a random blind testing program, providing a statutory appropriation for distribution of a portion of the tax to local government entities; providing rulemaking authority; amending sections and providing an immediate effective date.”
Type: Initiative
Submission #1: 1/21/20
Status: Waiting on submitter response to Legislative Services correspondence.
Submitter: Erica Siate

If you observe and have concerns about questionable signature gathering, you may file a complaint with the Secretary of State, who will forward each complaint to the appropriate county official.  See signature gathering information »

Note: The subject of a ballot issue may be paraphrased on this page. For ballot issues approved for signature gathering or qualified for the ballot, see the link for the statement that appears on the ballot.