CI-126 & CI-127 NEWS & UPDATES
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In the News
Editorial: Open primaries give voters more control
Daily Inter Lake | June 16, 2024
The group backing two major election reform initiatives cleared the signature gathering threshold, they said Wednesday on the steps of the Montana Capitol.
The group, Montanans for Election Reform, needed over 60,000 signatures in 40 legislative districts for each initiative and they reported having more than 200,000 between the two constitutional initiatives.
"It's a happy day for us and a happy day for Montana," said Frank Garner, one of the group's leaders and a former Republican legislator from Kalispell.
Read more at dailyinterlake.com →
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Supporters of Montana election ballot measures begin turning in signatures
KTVH | June 13, 2024
“Whether it's rural or urban, it leads to a lot of polarization because so few people vote in the primary – and if it's a highly contested primary, even fewer people are actually electing,” she said.
On Thursday, Sexton joined former Great Falls mayor Randy Gray, Choteau Mayor Chris Hindoien and former Great Falls lawmakers Anders Blewett and Tom Jacobson to bring boxes of signed petitions to the Cascade County election administrator.
“I'm very optimistic,” said Gray. “Plus, Montanans, they tend to have common sense, and our hope is that this will appeal to their common sense.”
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Election reform group says it gathered enough signatures for Nov. ballot
Daily Montanan | June 12, 2024
Retired Lt. Col. David Oclander said he answered a call to action in his military service in Afghanistan due to an existential threat to the U.S., and he said the country faces another threat now – the current political division. Oclander is with Veterans for All Voters, a national election reform nonprofit.
“My call to action for all of us is to stand up and serve with your brothers and sisters, our brothers and sisters to your left and right, and defend our nation from division,” Oclander said.
Read more at dailymontanan.com →
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Backers say they have signatures to qualify nonpartisan primary and majority vote initiatives for fall ballot
Montana Free Press | June 12, 2024
Speaking at an event organized by the backing committee, Montanans for Election Reform, at the state Capitol Wednesday, former Republican lawmaker Frank Garner argued that the two measures would adjust Montana’s elections to empower independent-minded voters and nudge the state’s politics away from extreme partisanship.
“We know Montanans are fed up with divisive politics, inflammatory rhetoric and an unwillingness to work across the aisle to find solutions to the real challenges facing Montana’s families,” Garner said. “It’s time for a change.”
Former Democratic lawmaker Mary Sheehy Moe also spoke in favor of the initiatives at Wednesday’s event.
“The Montana I love cannot survive the ineffective leadership that has been the result of the current primary system,” Moe said.
Read more at montanafreepress.org →
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Election reform group says they cleared signature threshold
Bozeman Daily Chronicle | June 12, 2024
The group backing two major election reform initiatives cleared the signature gathering threshold, they said Wednesday on the steps of the Montana Capitol.
The group, Montanans for Election Reform, needed over 60,000 signatures in 40 legislative districts for each initiative and they reported having more than 200,000 between the two constitutional initiatives.
"It's a happy day for us and a happy day for Montana," said Frank Garner, one of the group's leaders and a former Republican legislator from Kalispell.
Read more at bozemandailychronicle.com →
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Doug Campbell: Ballot choices shouldn't be restricted
Helena Independent Record | May 31, 2024
“Montanans have a choice: Keep our election system the same, restricting our choices and leaving us without the representation we deserve, or open up our system for more competition and better choices. I hope this is the last primary election where this Independent voter is forced to associate with an incomplete and ineffective partisan ideology when choosing a partisan ballot.”
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Dan Lee: It’s time to put voters back in charge of elections
Missoulian | May 23, 2024
“Veterans believe that service to our country is one of our highest honors. There are everyday Montanans who also believe in the value of public service, but they’re shut out of our election system because they don’t have the right connections. Instead, political parties funnel millions of dollars into elections where voters don’t actually have a say. It’s time for a change.”
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Who's trying to get your signature on the streets of Missoula?
KPAX | April 25, 2024
“This is a group of Montanans trying to improve our government and our outcomes. And we think it’s time for fundamental change and the people we talk to across the state agree," said Frank Garner.
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Primary change proposed during town hall meeting
Choteau Acantha | April 24, 2024
“I think it’s time for a change,” [Mayor Chris] Hindoien said. In Montana, just 6% of voters get 88% of legislative seats elected. “That’s a huge number,” he said.
Read more at choteauacantha.com →
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New Constitutional Initiatives Could Change How Montanans Vote
NonStop Local | April 24, 2024
Read more at montanarightnow.com →
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Bruce Tutvedt and Ted Kronebusch: Put Voters Back in Charge
Flathead Beacon | April 16, 2024
“We trust Montana voters to think for themselves. Montanans want to be able to vote for the person, not just the party. And we deserve more and better choices on the ballot in November.”
Read more at flatheadbeacon.com →
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What are Montana Constitutional Initiatives 126 and 127?
KRTV | April 5, 2024
“Because there are more candidates available, candidates are going to have to work harder to ensure that they have some crossover appeal to the broadest collection of voters in their district in order to get elected,” says Senior Advisor for Montanans for Election Reform, Rob Cook.
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Montana GOP says proposed primary change ‘destructive,’ advocates say it tempers extremism
Daily Montanan | April 4, 2024
“It brings us back more to the center, which is a dirty word for some folks on both sides of the aisle,” Sexton said. “This is really about choice and freedom to select those people who are going to be the best representatives, rather than having– whether it’s on the left or the right– those extremes that often the party puts forward, be elected in the primary because not many people vote in the primary.”
Read more at dailymontanan.com →
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Flathead leaders lobby for election reform ballot initiatives
Daily Inter Lake | April 2, 2024
“I don't feel like people have been more ready for a change, a fundamental change in how we choose people to govern, than right now,” said former Kalispell Police Chief and Republican state legislator Frank Garner this week.
Read more at dailyinterlake.com →
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Flathead Leaders Rally Around Election Reform Initiatives
Flathead Beacon | March 15, 2024
“The voice of the people is getting buried, it’s being lost,” Sue Corrigan said. “We want the opportunity to vote for the person, not for the party.”
Read more at flatheadbeacon.com →
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Decision 2024: Montanans for Election Reform propose changes to voting
NBC Montana | March 12, 2024
Garner said the group wants to give Montanans more power in their election system.
"We think we can do better, that our government can do better, that our election system needs to do better," Garner said."
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Signature gathering begins for two election reform initiatives
MTN News | February 7, 2024
“I know from talking to people across the state and in my hometown that they're tired of the divisiveness, tired of us not solving some of the hardest problems, and they want to see reforms and changes that put them back in charge,” says Garner.
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Election reform group officially begins signature-gathering effort
Helena Independent Record | February 7, 2024
“An elections reform group officially launched its campaign to gather thousands of signatures from across the state in an effort to get two initiatives on November's ballot.
Montanans for Election Reform (MER) gathered at a Wednesday event in Helena to ink the first signatures of the campaign.”
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Lawmakers support majority-vote initiative
Montana Free Press | January 5, 2024
“A legislative interim committee Thursday lent overwhelming support to a proposed ballot initiative that, if passed by voters in 2024, would require most Montana elections to be decided by a majority of the vote.
The State Administration and Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted 9-1 in favor of Ballot Issue 13. This means signature-gathering sheets for the initiative will note the committee’s support for the proposal.”
Read More at montanafreepress.org →
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Committee supports ballot initiative that could change Montana elections
Daily Montanan | January 4, 2024
“A ballot initiative to change how elections are won in Montana to a majority vote system is a step closer to appearing on the ballot.
Legislators took a 9-1 vote Thursday to support the proposed change in a special State Administration and Veterans’ Affairs Interim Committee meeting. Proponents now need to gather enough signatures– from 10% of the voters of 40 house districts, and 10% of the total citizens eligible to vote in the state– for the issue to go to the voters this November.”
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