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.
Issues Qualified for the 2026 General Election Ballot
TBD.
Issues Qualified to Gather Signatures for the 2026 General Election Ballot
CI-129 (Ballot Issue #1)
Subject: An act that amends the Montana Constitution to limit the annual increase in the valuation of a primary residence to 2% when assessing property taxes unless there are changes to the residence or a change of ownership. Upon a change of ownership or a change to the residence, a primary residence is assessed at fair market value starting January 1 of the following year. New primary residences are assessed at fair market value as of January 1 of the year following their construction. Purchases or transfers of primary residences between spouses or between parents and children are not considered changes in ownership. A person may have only one primary residence and must own and occupy that residence for at least 7 months of the year.
Submission #1: 11/12/2024
Status: Petition has been approved for signature gathering as of 01/17/2025.
Submitter: Matthew Monforton
CI-130 (Ballot Issue #2)
Subject: An act that amends the Montana Constitution to limit the annual increase in the valuation of real property to 2% when assessing property taxes unless there are changes to the real property or a change of ownership, in which case, the real property is assessed at fair market value starting January 1 of the following year. Purchases or transfers of real property between spouses or between parents and children are not considered changes in ownership. Changes to real property shall be assessed as provided by law; however, after the adjustment for any change to the real property, the property shall be assessed according to this act. Finally, no assessment of real property shall exceed fair market value.
Submission #1: 4/7/2025
Status: Petition has been approved for signature gathering as of 06/17/2025.
Submitter: Matthew Monforton
CI-131 (Ballot Issue #3)
Subject: A constitutional initiative that, if passed, mandates Montana supreme court and district court elections be non-partisan. A non-partisan election prohibits labeling candidates on the ballot according to the political party the candidate aligns with including labels like independent.
Submission #1: 7/29/2025
Status: Approved to gather signatures on 09/26/2025
Submitter: Ted Dick
CI-132 (Ballot Issue #5)
Subject: A constitutional initiative that, if passed, amends Article VII of the Montana Constitution to create a new Section 12 that mandates all judicial elections be nonpartisan. A nonpartisan election prohibits labeling candidates on the ballot according to the political party the candidate aligns with including labels like independent..
Submission #1: 8/15/2025
Status: Approved to gather signatures on 10/09/2025
Submitter: Monica Paoli & Megan Simpson
Submitted Ballot Issues for the 2026 General Election Ballot
(Ballot Issue #7)
Subject: The goal of this initiative is to create clear, enforceable standards that protect dogs from neglect, poor breeding practices, and unsafe living conditions while holding breeders accountable to the highest standards of animal welfare.
Submission #1: 9/12/2025
Status: Forwarded to LSD on 9/16/2025
Submitter: Alana Vosen
(Ballot Issue #8)
Subject: The Montana constitution reserves to the people the powers of initiative and referendum. This act amends the constitution to protect this fundamental right from unjustified interference by the government. Specifically, this act requires impartial, predictable, open, and timely processes for ballot issues, including approving petitions and ballot statements, resolving legal challenges, and verifying signatures. It requires the state to allow ample time for signature gathering, prohibits disqualification of petitions because of minor or technical issues, and allows voters to withdraw their signatures if they so choose.
Submission #1: 10/3/2025
Status: Forwarded to OBPP & AG on 10/22/2025
Submitter: Claudia Clifford and Theresa Kendrick
Issues Not Qualified for the 2026 General Election Ballot
(Ballot Issue #4)
Subject: A constitutional initiative that would add a new section to Article XIII of the Montana Constitution to define the powers of artificial persons, including corporations, as only those the constitution expressly grants and provide that artificial persons have no power to spend money or anything of value on elections or ballot issues. The initiative affirms that the people of Montana did not intend for artificial persons to have the power to spend on elections or ballot issues. This act provides that actions beyond those expressly granted powers are void. The initiative provides that political committees may be granted the power to spend on elections and ballot issues. It allows enforcement through forfeiture of state-conferred privileges. The initiative includes a severability clause that ensures that valid portions of the initiative remain effective if other parts are invalidated.
Submission #1: 8/1/2025
Status: Found to be legally insufficient by the Attorney General on 10/24/2025
Submitter: Matthew T. Cochenour
(Ballot Issue #6)
Subject: An act that amends the constitution to require that judicial elections in Montana remain nonpartisan. It prohibits the legislature from creating new courts unless the judges are subject to nonpartisan elections by the people.
Submission #1: 8/15/2025
Status: Found to be legally insufficient by the Attorney General on 10/09/2025
Submitter: Monica Paoli & Megan Simpson
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.