HELENA, Mont. – Voters will decide on significant changes to the state’s voting system this November with Constitutional Initiatives 126 and 127 officially on the ballot.
Initiative 126 proposes opening primary elections to any voter or candidate, regardless of party affiliation, on one single ballot. The top four candidates, regardless of party, will move on to the general election. This initiative will impact statewide and federal positions.
Using the U.S. Senate race as an example, if Initiative 126 passes, there could be eight candidates on the primary ballot. The top four vote-getters would move on to the general election. This means scenarios where four Democrats or four Republicans could advance, or a mix including Independents. If four or fewer candidates enter the primary, they go directly to the general election.
For instance, in the past U.S. Senate primary race, there were seven candidates. If Initiative 126 had been in place, Tim Sheehy would have campaigned against other Republicans in the general election.
Initiative 127 proposes a different overhaul, focusing on how winners are picked. If passed, candidates for covered positions must receive fifty percent plus one of the votes to win. Positions not labeled “covered” will be elected based on the number of votes each candidate receives, regardless of percentage.
Using the Senate race again as an example, a senatorial candidate would need fifty percent plus one of the vote to win. For non-covered positions, the candidate with the highest vote count wins, even if the margin is one vote.
If candidates for covered positions do not exceed fifty percent, the legislature will determine the winner. They may use the Alaskan system, which eliminates the candidate with the fewest votes and redistributes votes until a candidate receives a majority, or opt for a Georgia runoff, where the top two vote-getters face each other in a later election.
If either initiative passes in November, the changes would go into effect on January 1, 2025.
