New law could boost future attempts to get third parties on the ballot

[TexasTowelie]

Legislation signed into law last week allows any Montana voter to bring a petition placing a minor party on the ballot, which Republicans framed as fixing a deficiency in state code that thwarted their attempt to qualify the Green Party for the 2020 general election.

Senate Bill 350, sponsored by Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, was among a handful of measures requested by the new Republican Secretary of State, Christi Jacobsen, this past legislative session. It also sets out deadlines for petitions that seek to place a third party on the ballot for statewide elections.

Last year, the state Supreme Court ruled 5-2 against then-Secretary of State Corey Stapleton and tossed the Green Party off the 2020 general election ballot, finding the third party hadn’t authorized a signature-gathering effort bankrolled by the Montana GOP. Minor parties are sometimes seen as siphoning votes away from the two major parties, and Democrats have argued the left-leaning party’s inclusion was designed to disadvantage their candidates. The Libertarian Party, which can pull votes from Republican candidates, is already qualified for Montana ballots.

“The secretary was without statutory authority to accept the petition at issue in this case, which was not presented, endorsed, or sponsored by the Montana Green Party,” the justices wrote in the 2020 ruling.

Read more: https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/mtleg/new-law-could-boost-future-attempts-to-get-third-parties-on-the-ballot/article_18e218bf-bcdd-52eb-9add-1279300c912d.html