Montana I-186, Requirements For Permits And Reclamation Plans Of New Hard Rock Mines Initiative (2018)

Montana I-186
Election date November 6, 2018
Topic Environment and Natural resources
Status d Defeated
Type State statute	Origin Citizens
List of Montana measuresMontana LR-128Montana LR-129Montana I-185Montana I-186Submit

Montana I-186, the Requirements for Permits and Reclamation Plans of New Hard Rock Mines Initiative was on the ballot in Montana as an initiated state statute on November 6, 2018. It was defeated.

A yes vote supported the ballot initiative to establish new requirements for a hard rock mine permits based on standards for water quality in land restoration plans.

A no vote opposed the ballot initiative to establish new requirements for hard rock mine permits, thereby keeping the existing requirements.

Election results[edit]

Montana I-186
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		220,266	44.36%
No		276,232	55.64%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Aftermath[edit]

In July 2021, the Federal Election Commission, in a 4-2 decision, affirmed that foreign nationals, including individuals, corporations, and governments, could contribute to ballot measure campaigns. The decision was the result of a complaint filed against a Canadian subsidiary of Australian firm Sandfire Resources, which contributed to the opposition campaign of Montana I-186. The ruling concluded that the contribution was not "inextricably linked to any federal, state, or local candidate for election" and therefore dismissed the complaint.^[3]

Overview[edit]

What would I-186 have done?[edit]

I-186 was designed to require the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to deny permits for any new hard rock mines if the mine's reclamation plan does not "contain measures sufficient to prevent the pollution of water without the need for perpetual treatment." In mining, reclamation plans are plans to rehabilitate and restore land that has been used for mining. The measure would have went into effect on November 6, 2018, if it was approved. It would not have applied to permits approved before November 6, 2018.

Hard rock mining and reclamation plans: what are they?[edit]

Hard rock mining refers to the mining of hard rock material such as gold, diamond, copper, silver, nickel, platinum, and zinc, which are found in hard igneous or metamorphic rock. To extract these materials and minerals from the hard rock, crushing equipment is needed.

Reclamation plans are plans for restoring the land to the condition it was in before the mine. Reclamation plans typically are used to demonstrate that the site will not pose environmental or societal risks after its closure.

What did supporters and opponents say?[edit]

Supporters argued that mining companies should be held to higher standards for ensuring that mines do not lead to pollution, specifically water pollution. They also argued that Montana taxpayers are often left with the bill to clean up environmental damage caused by mines.

Opponents argued that the measure would effectively end mining in Montana and result in job losses and economic damage. They also argued that the initiative could cause lawsuits.

Who was behind the campaigns surround the ballot initiative?[edit]

One committee was registered to support this initiative: YES for Responsible Mining. The committee had raised $2.13 million and spent $1.86 million.^[4] The largest donor was Trout Unlimited, which provided $484,148.

Stop I-186 to Protect Miners and Jobs was registered to oppose I-186. The committee reported a total of $5.55 million in contributions and $5.38 million in expenditures.^[4] The largest donor was the Montana Mining Association, which provided $5.29 million. Another committee, Business for Responsible Resource Development, was registered in opposition to I-186, but it had not reported any contributions or expenditures.

Measure design[edit]

I-186 would have amended section 82-4-336 of the Montana Code Annotated to add requirements regarding the reclamation plans of mines. In mining, reclamation plans are plans to rehabilitate and restore land that has been used for mining.

This measure would have required the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to deny permits for any new hard rock mines if the mine's reclamation plan does not "contain measures sufficient to prevent the pollution of water without the need for perpetual treatment." The measure described "perpetual treatment" as including "activities necessary to treat acid mine drainage or perpetual leaching of contaminants, including arsenic, mercury, and lead," but also stated that the terms perpetual treatment, perpetual leaching, and contaminants are not fully defined within the proposed measure and would require the state Legislature or Department of Environmental Quality to further define them. The measure would have went into effect on November 6, 2018, if it was approved. It would not have applied to permits approved before November 6, 2018.

The budget director of Montana's Office of Budget and Program Planning estimated that the measure's implementation would have cost the state $115,360 in the first fiscal year and up to $118,767 by fiscal year 2021 due to increased staff for reviewing permits and expected lawsuits.^[5][6]

Text of measure[edit]

Ballot title[edit]

The proposed ballot title was as follows:^[5]

“

INITIATIVE NO. 186 A LAW PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION I-186 requires the Department of Environmental Quality to deny a permit for any new hardrock mines in Montana unless the reclamation plan provides clear and convincing evidence that the mine will not require perpetual treatment of water polluted by acid mine drainage or other contaminants. The terms “perpetual treatment,” “perpetual leaching,” and “contaminants” within I-186 are not fully defined and would require further definition from the Montana Legislature or through Department of Environmental Quality rulemaking. I-186 will cost $115,360 in its first fiscal year, increasing to $118,767 by fiscal year 2021. These costs are associated with more staff for environmental review for mining permit applications and anticipated litigation. [ ] YES ON INITIATIVE I-186 [ ] NO ON INITIATIVE I-186 [7]

”

Full text[edit]

To read the full text of I-186, click here.

Readability score[edit]

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2018

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The initiative proponents, with review by state officials, wrote the ballot language for this measure. The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 13, and the FRE is 29. The word count for the ballot title is 121, and the estimated reading time is 32 seconds. The FKGL for the ballot summary is grade level N/A, and the FRE is N/A. The word count for the ballot summary is N/A, and the estimated reading time is N/A. In 2018, for the 167 statewide measures on the ballot, the average ballot title or question was written at a level appropriate for those with between 19 and 20 years of U.S. formal education (graduate school-level of education), according to the FKGL formula. Read Ballotpedia's entire 2018 ballot language readability report here.

Support[edit]

YES for Responsible Mining led the campaign in support of I-186.^[8]

Supporters[edit]

Organizations[edit]

• The Park County Environmental Council^[9]
• Trout Unlimited
• Our Revolution^[10]

Officials[edit]

• Missoula Mayor John Engen^[11]
• Great Falls Mayor Bob Kelly^[11]
• Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins^[11]
• Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld^[11]
• Bozeman Deputy Mayor/Mayor-elect Chris Mehl^[11]

Arguments[edit]

• On its website, YES for Responsible Mining said, "Toxic pollution from mines – including arsenic, lead and mercury – contaminates our rivers, lakes and streams while threatening public health through our drinking water. When mining companies file for bankruptcy and leave their toxic waste behind, Montana taxpayers get stuck with clean-up costs. I-186 will ensure that new mines in Montana operate responsibly. It will hold mining companies accountable and no longer allow them to leave behind a toxic mess requiring perpetual treatment of water contaminated by acid mine drainage and heavy metals."^[12]

• Jeff Lukas, a member of the YES for Responsible Mining campaign said, "It’s been widely recognized that we’re spending millions and millions of taxpayer dollars every single year to mitigate some of these environmental disasters that are the result of poor planning in the mining industry. The Legislature hasn’t done anything about it, so a citizen’s initiative is a powerful tool for the public to use to improve the quality of life in Montana.”^[13]

• Montana mayors John Engen of Missoula, Bob Kelly of Great Falls, Wilmot Collins of Helena, John Muhlfeld of Whitefish, and Chris Mehl of Bozeman, wrote, "The measure is about accountability and common sense, two things we value in our Montana communities. I-186 won’t affect existing mines or the expansions of those mines, just any hard-rock mines proposed in the future. Our clean water is too precious not to protect. Our children, businesses and communities depend on it. Let’s preserve it for generations to come. We hope you’ll join us in saying "yes" for responsible mining and I-186."^[11]

• The executive director of Montana Trout Unlimited, David Brooks, said, “This ballot initiative reflects Montana’s values of responsibility and accountability. It’s about ensuring mining is done right in the future.” Brooks also said, "I-186 is very necessary in Montana. We can and should have mining in Montana, but we should do it without irreparably damaging our water and saddling our citizens with the cost of cleaning up a company’s mess."^[8][14] Brooks also said, "Our Department of Environmental Quality does not have this tool. We as a state cannot reject a mine permit simply because it's going to cause permanent water pollution and hence need expensive, long-term or permanent water treatment. This really continues to protect responsible mining in the state, and we all know that our current lifestyles depend on mining. We just think that it needs to be done right and there needs to be the right balance struck between mining and healthy rivers."^[15]

• The co-owner of Chico Hot Springs, near the location of a mining proposal, said, “We shouldn’t be left with the bill from these businesses that propose mining exploration."^[8]

Opposition[edit]

Stop I-186 led the campaign in opposition to the measure.^[16]

Opponents[edit]

Montana state legislators[edit]

• Sen. Llew Jones (R-9)^[17]
• Sen. Fred Thomas (R-44)^[18]
• Rep. Ron Ehli (R-86)^[18]
• Rep. Nancy Ballance (R-87)^[18]
• Rep. Brad Tschida (R-97)^[19]
• Rep. Becky Beard (R-80)^[20]

Organizations[edit]

• Montana AFL-CIO^[21]
• The Lincoln County Commission^[14]

Arguments[edit]

• Rep. Becky Beard (R-80) wrote in the Helena IR, "In Montana — where mining is among our largest economic drivers and our state motto is Oro y Plata (gold and silver) — mining plays a critical role in sustaining communities and families across Montana. I-186 is duplicative, unnecessary, and aimed at trying to shut down the future of mining in Montana. I-186 will hurt Montana taxpayers and our economy. That’s why I’m voting 'NO' on I-186 in November."^[20]

• State senators Llew Jones (R-9) and Fred Thomas (R-44) along with state representatives Ron Ehli (R-86) and Nancy Ballance (R-87) co-authored a column in the Missoulian, arguing "Yes, all Montanans want clean water! And although Montana already has the strictest environmental laws in the nation, we should do more if we can. It is also true that if I-186 passes, it will drive mining companies from the state. The voters deserve to know the truth about the impact I-186 would have on Montana’s economy. The loss of 21,000 local jobs and the $1.3 billion mining industry will have a devastating impact on the funding of our local schools, public services to the disabled, senior citizens and children."^[18]

• Rep. Brad Tschida (R-97) wrote in The Missoulian, "Initiative 186 isn't about clean water. It’s a cunning attempt by environmental extremists to end mining in Montana. Water quality won’t improve because of I-186, but the economy in Montana will suffer irreparable damage if passed."^[19]

• Executive Secretary of the Montana AFL-CIO, Al Ekblad, wrote in the Helena IR: "Not only will I-186 kill family wage jobs and prevent more from being created, the ballot initiative is so poorly written that no one knows exactly what it will do — not even the lawyers that drafted it. I-186 is a confusing initiative that will produce bad policy. The Montana AFL-CIO urges workers to vote no on I-186."^[21]

• The executive director of the Montana Mining Association, Tammy Johnson, said, “No matter what the misleading package that the proponents are hiding this in, I think the true intent is to shut down mining."^[8]

• Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Peck said, “I see absolutely no need for (the initiative), all it does is brings confusion and ambiguity and just sets everything up for lawsuits.”^[14]

• Dave Galt, executive director of Stop I-186, said, “I think that the biggest impact is you’ll never see a new mine in the state of Montana, period." He also said it could lead to potential litigation.^[16][22]

Media editorials[edit]

See also: 2018 ballot measure media endorsements

Support[edit]

• The Missoulian wrote, "Montanans have already paid tens of millions to reclaim and treat polluted water from just a handful of mines. The Zortman Landusky mine’s acid drainage alone cost more than $27 million, and will continue to cost taxpayers $1 million or more a year, every year, forever. It closed in 1998, but Montanans are still paying and will continue to pay the costs of treating its contaminated water. Instead of waiting for another environmental disaster to occur and then passing a law to prevent it from happening again, let’s recognize that perpetual water pollution is one thing that Montana can get out in front of. We can pass I-186 and make sure Montana isn’t left with any more perpetually polluted water and perpetual public costs than the mining industry has already created here with certain short-sighted practices. Vote 'yes' on the Requirements for Permits and Reclamation Plans of New Hard Rock Mines Initiative, I-186."^[23]

Opposition[edit]

• The Billings Gazette said: "In one hand, I-186 is redundant because Montana law already requires clean water protection plans before it issues or amends mining permits. So is there a downside to doubling down on protecting our water? Well, yes, for the future of mining in Montana. The language of I-186 creates reasonable uncertainty about how the proposed law would be applied and conflicts with the standard of proof currently in the law. I-186 won’t fix any of the historic mining water pollution that has plagued our state. It may stop new well-regulated mines from opening. We encourage voters to say no to I-186 on their Nov. 6 ballots."^[24]

• The Montana Standard said: "Bottom line: We believe this initiative is redundant and unneeded. Further, we believe there's an excellent chance it will turn into a litigation factory, and we certainly don't need another one of those. We also don't need to spend time arguing about whether or not this initiative will harm current mining operations. If there is even the slightest chance that it will, it must be rejected by Montana voters. We urge you to vote no on Initiative 186."^[25]

Campaign finance[edit]

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Montana ballot measures

Total campaign contributions:
Support:	$2,133,712.94
Opposition:	$5,550,990.93

One committee was registered to support this initiative: YES for Responsible Mining. The committee had raised $2.13 million and spent $1.86 million.^[4] The largest donor was Trout Unlimited, which provided $484,148.

Stop I-186 to Protect Miners and Jobs was registered to oppose I-186. The committee reported a total of $5.55 million in contributions and $5.38 million in expenditures.^[4] The largest donor was the Montana Mining Association, which provided $5.29 million. Another committee, Business for Responsible Resource Development, was registered in opposition to I-186, but it had not reported any contributions or expenditures.

Support[edit]

Committees in support of Montana I-186 Supporting committees Cash contributions In-kind services Cash expenditures YES for Responsible Mining $1,758,895.93 $374,817.01 $1,488,276.42 Total $1,758,895.93 $374,817.01 $1,488,276.42

Totals in support Total raised: $2,133,712.94 Total spent: $1,863,093.43

Top donors[edit]

The top five donors in support of I-186 were as follows:

Donor	Cash	In-kind	Total
Trout Unlimited - National Office (Virginia)	$265,000.00	$0.00	$265,000.00
Trout Unlimited - Western Water Project (Montana)	$115,898.45	$103,250.00	$219,148.45
National Wildlife Federation	$134,800.00	$3,358.18	$138,158.18
American Rivers	$110,579.00	$6,076.00	$116,655.00
David M. Leuschen	$100,000.00	$0.00	$100,000.00

Opposition[edit]

Committees in opposition to Montana I-186 Opposing committees Cash contributions In-kind services Cash expenditures Stop I-186 to Protect Miners and Jobs $5,276,852.32 $274,138.61 $5,105,856.82 Total $5,276,852.32 $274,138.61 $5,105,856.82

Totals in opposition Total raised: $5,550,990.93 Total spent: $5,379,995.43

Top donors[edit]

Donor	Cash	In-kind	Total
Montana Mining Association	$5,218,090.32	$79,373.05	$5,297,463.37
Montana Resources LLP	$0.00	$82,652.38	$82,652.38
Sibayne Stillwater	$0.00	$25,279.84	$25,279.84
Sandfire America	$17,857.00	$5,385.59	$23,242.59
Golden Sunlight Mines, Inc.	$10,000.00	$3,220.45	$13,220.45

Methodology[edit]

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Polls[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls and 2018 ballot measure polls

Below are poll results for the measure:

Montana I-186
Poll	Yes	No	Undecided or will not vote on the measure	Margin of error	Sample size
Montana Television Network News and Montana State University poll 9/14/18 - 10/6/18	28.6%	50.6%	20.9%	+/-2.0	2,000
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Background[edit]

Hard rock mining[edit]

Hard rock mining refers to the mining of hard rock material such as gold, diamond, copper, silver, nickel, platinum, and zinc, which are found in hard igneous or metamorphic rock. Igneous rock forms from volcanic magma and intense heat. Igneous rocks are formed from extreme pressure and temperature. To extract these materials and minerals from the hard rock, crushing equipment is needed. Coal, on the contrary, is found in soft sedimentary rock.^[26][27]

Mine closure and reclamation plans[edit]

Many regulatory agencies require a mining closure plan, or reclamation plan, before granting a mining permit to a potential miner. Reclamation plans typically are used to demonstrate that the site will not pose environmental or societal risks after its closure. It can take around two to ten years to close a mine, but it could take longer if long-term water treatment or monitoring is required. Reclamation plans are plans for restoring the land to the condition it was in before the mine.^[28]

Following is a list of steps involved in the closure of a mine:^[28]

• Decommissioning: Mining facilities and equipment are taken apart, cleaned, sold, repurposed, or disposed of;
• Reclamation/remediation: Hazardous materials are removed, the land is restored through replacing topsoil, planting grass, trees, and other vegetation, water is returned to an acceptable standard with acceptable water quality; and
• Post-closure: Reclamation measures are monitored, water requiring long-term treatment due to mining activities is monitored and treated.

Reclamation requirements in Montana in effect as of 2018[edit]

As of 2018, standards and requirements for reclamation plans included, but were not limited to, the following:^[5]

• Erosion control measures must be conducted simultaneously with mining operations;
• Reclamation activities must be completed no more than 2 years after the completion or abandonment of the operation;
• Reclamation plans cannot be strayed from or changed without approval unless faced with an emergency or catastrophe;
• Measures must be taken to avoid creating stagnant water that could develop into a breeding ground for mosquitos or other insects;
• Provisions must be in place to insulate open-pit mines larger than two acres from pollutive solutions that could be created from contact with moisture;
• Reclamation plans must provide for measures to ensure public safety and prevention of water and air pollution of nearby areas; and
• Reclamations plans must provide for measures to prevent "objectionable postmining groundwater discharges."

Hard rock reclamation in Montana[edit]

Montana has an abandoned mine reclamation program which has overseen and completed almost 300 projects in 50 counties throughout the state.

The following map released by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in August 2017 shows locations of abandoned soft rock (coal) mines shaded in yellow and hard rock mines shaded in blue:^[29]

Mining industry in Montana[edit]

According to 2013 figures from the Montana State Library, the mining industry accounted for 6.1 percent of the state gross domestic product (GDP), 4.8 percent of work earnings, and two percent of jobs in Montana.^[30]

Mining projects in Montana[edit]

Mining projects listed here were included because Ballotpedia staff deemed them recent or relevant. If you believe another mining project should be discussed here, please send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Montana Tunnels project[edit]

Montana Tunnels is a gold, silver, lead, and zinc mine in Jefferson County, Montana. The Department of Environmental Quality suspended its operating permit on June 4, 2018, citing environmental concerns. Chief among the environmental concerns was that Clancy Creek would be destroyed by the mine's north wall caving in, which would, therefore, harm the westslope cutthroat trout habitat downstream. Patrick Imeson, the owner of the mine, said the mine has not had reclamation work since 2010.^[31]

Zortman-Landusky gold mine[edit]

The Zortman-Landusky gold mine was a heap leach mine of the Pegasus Gold company located near the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana, a reservation home to the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine tribes.^[32] Heap leaching is a technique used to extract and process minerals such as gold, silver, nickel, copper, and uranium in which ores are piled into a heap and treated with chemicals known as a leach solution.^[33]

The Zortman-Landusky mine used cyanide to process the minerals and resulted in more than 10 cyanide spills, including one incident where 50,000 gallons of cyanide were spilled. The mine also caused acid leakage of arsenic and lead.^[32] The mine shut down in 1998 and filed for bankruptcy, leaving the cleanup costs to the state of Montana.^[32][34][35] In 2005, state officials concluded that the mine would require water treatments forever.^[34] According to the Livingston Enterprise, the Zortman-Landusky mine has cost Montana taxpayers $27.5 million since its closure in 1998 due to its perpetual acid mine drainage treatments.^[9]

The Montana Cyanide Process Open Pit Mining Prohibition Initiative, also known as I-137, was on the November 3, 1998, ballot in Montana as an initiated state statute, where it was approved. The measure banned new open-pit gold and silver mines that used heap and vat cyanide leach processing.^[36][37] The Montana Open-pit Mining Initiative, also known as I-147, was on the November 2, 2004, ballot in Montana as an initiated state statute. The measure would have allowed cyanide leach processing at open-pit gold and silver mines. It was defeated.^[38][39]

Natural resources on the ballot in Montana[edit]

See also: Natural resources on the ballot and List of Montana ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measure(s) relating to natural resources in Montana.

1. Montana Coal Tax Trust Fund, C-3 (1976)
2. Montana Cyanide Process Open Pit Mining Prohibition, I-137 (1998)
3. Montana Open-pit Mining, I-147 (2004)
4. Montana Remove Prohibition on Disposal of Radioactive Waste, LR-89 (1982)
5. Montana Resource Indemnity Trust, C-1 (1974)

Path to the ballot[edit]

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Montana

The state process[edit]

In Montana, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 5 percent of the votes cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. Moreover, signature collection must be distributed such that petitions include signatures equal to 5 percent of the votes cast for governor in each of one-third (34) of the state's legislative districts in the last gubernatorial election. Petitioners have a maximum of one year to collect signatures and get them verified by county elections officials.

The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2018 ballot:

• Signatures: 25,468 valid signatures were required.
• Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures to county clerks was June 22, 2018. The deadline to submit signatures to the secretary of state was July 20, 2018.

County election officials check each signature to make sure the name corresponds to the name of a registered voter. Then they use a 5 percent random sampling method to check the authenticity of the signatures. Signature petitions are then sent to the secretary of state, which certifies the measure for the ballot if enough valid signatures were submitted.

Cost of signature collection:
Sponsors of the measure hired M&R Strategic Services to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $249,981.63 was spent to collect the 25,468 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $9.82.

Details about this initiative[edit]

• Thomas Schoenleben submitted the initiative on April 4, 2018.^[6]
• On May 31, 2018, proponents reported gathering 24,000 signatures.^[40]
• On May 25, 2018, the Montana Mining Association filed a petition with the Montana Supreme Court asking for an order declaring the initiative legally insufficient and to suspend signature gathering.^[41] On June 19, 2018, the Montana Supreme Court ruled unanimously against the Mining Association.^[42]
• Proponents of the measure reported submitting between 42,000 to 45,000 signatures on June 21, 2018.^[43]
• Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton announced that the measure qualified for the ballot via Twitter on July 25, 2018.^[44]

I-186 full text[edit]

The full text of the measure is displayed below. The underlined text would be added, and struck-through text would be deleted:^[5]

How to cast a vote[edit]

See also: Voting in Montana

Poll times[edit]

In Montana, polling place hours vary throughout the state. Most polling places open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m, although some polling places may open as late as 12:00 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.^[45]

Registration requirements[edit]

To register to vote in Montana, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Montana for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election. Individuals serving a felony sentence in a penal institution and those who have been declared by a court to be of unsound mind are not eligible to vote.^[46] The regular registration deadline is 30 days before the election. Citizens can register to vote at their county election office, drop off a registration application at the county election office or mail it to the county election administrator, or fill out an application when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or state ID. Late registration is available at county election offices or other designated locations until noon on Election Day.^[46]

Automatic registration[edit]

Montana does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration[edit]

See also: Online voter registration

Montana does not permit online voter registration.

Same-day registration[edit]

Montana does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements[edit]

In order to register to vote in Montana, applicants must have lived in the state for at least 30 days prior to the election.

Verification of citizenship[edit]

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Montana does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Verifying your registration[edit]

The site My Voter Page, run by the Montana secretary of state’s office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements[edit]

Montana requires voters to present identification while voting.

Montana's voter identification requirements are outlined in Section 13-13-114 of Montana Code, as amended when SB169 was signed into law on April 19, 2021. The law states, "Before an elector is permitted to receive a ballot or vote, the elector shall present to an election judge one of the following forms of identification showing the elector's name:"^[47]

“

(i) Montana driver's license, Montana state identification card issued pursuant to 61-12-501, military identification card, tribal photo identification card., United States passport, or Montana concealed carry permit; or (ii) (A) a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows the elector's name and current address; and (B) photo identification that shows the elector's name, including but not limited to a school district or postsecondary education photo identification. [7]

”

To view the full text of the law, click here.

Background[edit]

As of April 2021, 35 states enforced (or were scheduled to begin enforcing) voter identification requirements. A total of 21 states required voters to present photo identification at the polls; the remainder accepted other forms of identification. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.^[48][49]

See also[edit]

2018 measures 2018 ballot measures Environment on the ballot Energy on the ballot 2018 petition deadlines

Montana Montana ballot measures Montana initiative laws

News and analysis Ballot measure lawsuits Ballot measure readability Ballot measure polls Ballot measure signature costs

External links[edit]

• Initiative 186 full text

Support[edit] Yes on 186 campaign website Yes on 186 Facebook page Yes on 186 Twitter page

Opposition[edit] Stop I-186 campaign website Stop I-186 Facebook page Stop I-186 Twitter page

Footnotes[edit]

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