Montana 2024 ballot measures

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In 2024, three statewide ballot measures were on the ballot in Montana for the election on November 5.

On the ballot

See also: 2024 ballot measures

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CICA	CI-126	Establish top-four primaries for federal and state offices in Montana		287,837 (49%)	300,664 (51%)
CICA	CI-127	Require an electoral system in which candidates for certain offices must win a majority of the vote, rather than a plurality, to win the election		228,908 (40%)	348,805 (60%)
CICA	CI-128	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability	a	345,070 (58%)	252,300 (42%)

Potential

For 2024, measures that were certified for the ballot are available here, and measures that failed to make the ballot are available here.

Getting on the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in Montana

Citizen initiatives

In Montana, initiated constitutional amendments, initiated state statutes, and veto referendums can be put on the ballot through citizen signature petitions.

Petitioners were required to file the requisite number of signatures by June 21, 2024, for initiated state statues and initiated constitutional amendments. The law requires signatures for veto referendums to be submitted by six months after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns.

Citizens were required to file at least 60,359 valid signatures for initiated constitutional amendments and at least 30,180 valid signatures for initiated state statutes and veto referendums.

To qualify a measure for the ballot in Montana, supporters submitted signatures directly to county officials, who are responsible for preliminary verification before passing the petition sheets on to the secretary of state by July 19, 2024. Thus, the status of some measures can remain unknown for some time after the signature submission deadline.

Legislative referrals

The Montana Legislature may refer statutes or constitutional amendments to the ballot. Any member of the legislature can propose a statute or amendment. A simple majority is required in both chambers of the state legislature to place a legislatively referred state statute on the ballot. A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required of all members of the legislature during one legislative session for the Montana State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Since Montana has 150 legislators (100 Representatives and 50 Senators), at least 100 members must vote in favor of a constitutional amendment for it to pass. Section 5 of Article III of the Montana Constitution, along with Montana Code 5-4-301, provides that the governor cannot veto legislatively referred state statutes or stop them from appearing on the ballot. Constitutional amendments do not require the governor's signature.

Not on the ballot

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Status
LRCA	State Legislative Authority Over Public University System Amendment	State legislatures and Education	Authorize the state legislature to pass laws requiring the board of regents of higher education and units of the Montana university system to "adopt and maintain policies and practices that protect the rights and associated civil liberties provided in the Montana Constitution"
LRCA	Governor Appointed Supreme Court Justices Amendment	State judiciary	Change the process of supreme court justice selection from nonpartisan elections to appointment by the governor with senate confirmation for eight-year terms
LRCA	Mental Health Trust Fund Amendment	Healthcare	Establish a mental health trust fund "to fund the state's mental health priorities as provided by law"
LRCA	Redistricting Criteria Amendment	Redistricting	Require the division of cities, towns, and counties to be minimized during state legislative and congressional redistricting and prohibit data regarding political affiliation of electors or previous election results from influencing redistricting
LRCA	Require Elections of County Sheriffs Amendment	Law enforcement, Elections	Requires the election of a sheriff in each county
LRCA	Authorize Concealed Carry of Firearms Amendment	Firearms	Authorizes the concealed carry of firearms
LRCA	Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment	Constitutional rights and Hunting and fishing	Creates a constitutional right to hunt and fish
CICA	Transfer Bar Admission Rulemaking Authority from State Supreme Court to State Legislature Initiative	State judiciary	Transfers rulemaking authority for state Bar admissions from the state supreme court to the state legislature
CICA	Citizens' Grand Jury Initiative	State judiciary	Authorizes citizens to convene a grand jury by a complaint and petition signed by 100 plus 1/2 of 1% of a county's electors
CICA	Designate American Rodeo as Official Sport of Montana Initiative	Athletics	Designate American rodeo as the official sport of Montana
CISS	Landowner Hunting Initiative	Hunting and fishing	Prohibits regulations that prevent licensed landowners from hunting deer, elk, and black bears on their own private hunting lands during statewide general hunting season

Historical facts

See also: List of Montana ballot measures and History of Initiative & Referendum in Montana

In Montana, a total of 99 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2020. Fifty-eight ballot measures were approved, and 41 ballot measures were defeated.

Montana statewide ballot measures, 1985-2020
Total number	Annual average	Annual minimum	Annual maximum	Approved		Defeated
				#	%	#	%
99	2.60	0	8	58	58.59	41	41.41

Ballot initiative certification rates

See also: Ballot initiatives filed for the 2022 ballot

The following table shows the rate of certification for ballot initiatives in Montana between 2010 and 2020:

Montana statewide ballot initiatives filed and certified, 2010-2020
Year	Ballot initiatives filed	Certified
		#	%
2020	14	2	14.3
2018	16	2	12.5
2016	24	4	16.7
2014	18	0	0.0
2012	10	2	20.0
2010	26	3	11.5
Averages	18.0	2.2	12.5

State profile

Demographic data for Montana
	Montana	U.S.
Total population:	1,032,073	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	145,546	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	89.2%	73.6%
Black/African American:	0.5%	12.6%
Asian:	0.7%	5.1%
Native American:	6.5%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.5%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	3.3%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	92.8%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	29.5%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$47,169	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	17%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Montana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Montana

Montana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, three are located in Montana, accounting for 1.46 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Montana had two Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.10 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Montana coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Montana
• United States congressional delegations from Montana
• Public policy in Montana
• Endorsers in Montana
• Montana fact checks
• More...

See also

• 2024 ballot measures
• List of Montana ballot measures
• Laws governing the initiative process in Montana
• Montana Legislature