Montana 2020 ballot measures

2020 U.S. state ballot measures
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Five statewide ballot measures were certified to appear on the ballot in Montana on November 3, 2020. Voters approved all five measures.

On the ballot[edit]

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRSS	LR-130	Firearms	Removes local governments' authority to regulate firearms, including regulation of concealed carry	a
LRCA	C-46	Direct democracy	Changes language in constitution to match existing initiated amendment distribution requirements	a
LRCA	C-47	Direct democracy	Changes language in constitution to match existing initiated statute and referendum distribution requirements	a
CICA	CI-118	Marijuana	Authorizes the legislature or a citizen initiative to set a legal age for marijuana purchase, use, and possession	a
CISS	I-190	Marijuana	Legalizes marijuana for individuals over the age of 21 and taxes the sale of non-medical marijuana at a rate of 20 percent	a

Summary of campaign contributions[edit]

See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2020

The following chart illustrates how much support and opposition committees received in campaign contributions for each measure on the ballot:

Ballot Measure	Support Contributions	Oppose Contributions	Outcome
Montana C-46, Initiated Amendment Distribution Requirements Measure (2020)	$0.00	$0.00
Montana C-47, Initiated Statute and Referendum Distribution Requirements Amendment (2020)	$0.00	$0.00
Montana CI-118, Allow for a Legal Age for Marijuana Amendment (2020)	$7,476,501.07	$323,170.00
Montana I-190, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2020)	$7,476,501.07	$323,170.00
Montana LR-130, Limit Local Government Authority to Regulate Firearms Measure (2020)	$52,632.37	$1,632,132.27

Getting on the ballot[edit]

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in Montana

Citizen initiatives[edit]

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 17, 2020, 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 50,936 valid signatures for initiated constitutional amendments and at least 25,468 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. Thus, the status of some measures can remain unknown for some time after the signature submission deadline.

Legislative referrals[edit]

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. Amendments must be adopted by an affirmative roll call vote of two-thirds of all members of the legislature and approved by state voters. 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.

The 2019 legislative session ran from January 7, 2019, to April 25, 2019, during which time the legislature could refer measures to the ballot.

Referral of 2020 constitutional amendment[edit]

The following table illustrates the vote requirements for the constitutional amendment certified for the ballot, the votes the amendment received, and how Democrats and Republicans voted on the amendment in each legislative chamber:

Historical facts[edit]

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

• A total of 60 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Montana from 1996 to 2018.
• From 1996 to 2018, the number of measures on statewide ballots during even-numbered years ranged from two to eight.
• Between 1996 and 2018, an average of between four and five measures appeared on the ballot in Montana during even-numbered election years.
• Between 1996 and 2018, about 61.67 percent (37 of 60) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots were approved, and about 38.33 percent (23 of 60) were defeated.

Not on the ballot[edit]

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Definition of "Person" Amendment	Abortion & personhood	Defines a person as "mankind at any stage of development, beginning at the stage of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency."
LRCA	Allow Legislature to Limit or Prohibit Tax Increases by Local Governments Amendment	Taxes	Enables the state legislature to limit or prohibit a local government from imposing tax increases beyond the amount determined by the state
CISS	Marijuana Legalization Initiative	Marijuana	Legalizes, regulates, and taxes recreational marijuana
CISS	I-187, Renewable Energy Initiative	Energy	Requires investor-owned electric utilities to acquire 80% of their electricity from renewable resources by 2035; funds programs to address reduction in coalmining employment
CISS	I-188, Vehicular Manslaughter Initiative	Law enforcement and Transportation	Creates a criminal offense in state law for vehicular manslaughter carrying a fine of up to $50,000, up to 20 years incarceration, driver's license suspension, and more
CISS	I-189, Same Legal Requirements and Fees for Government and Private Parties Initiative	Civil and criminal trials	Applies the same legal and court requirements and fees to both government and private parties

State profile[edit]

Presidential voting pattern[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Montana

Montana voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

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.^[1]

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
• Influencers in Montana
• Montana fact checks
• More...

Voter guides[edit]

2020 State Cannabis Voter Guides

See also[edit]

• 2020 ballot measures
• List of Montana ballot measures
• Laws governing the initiative process in Montana
• Montana Legislature

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