Montana becomes the fifth state with an open primaries initiative on the ballot 

Montana voters will decide whether to abolish party primaries this November, following the secretary of state’s announcement that an open primaries initiative backed by Montanans for Election Reform (MER) has enough signatures to qualify for the general election ballot. Montana is the fifth state to qualify an open primaries initiative for this year, following Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota, and Nevada. 

Since the early 1900s, there’s never been more than three election-related ballot initiatives in any single year. If a similar initiative qualifies in Colorado in the coming weeks, there will be six open primary initiatives alone.

Due to a combination of uncompetitive general elections and restrictive primary rules, only 9% of eligible voters elected Montana’s entire House of Representatives in 2022, according to an analysis by the Unite America Institute. The proposed initiative, CI-126, aims to fix the state’s “Primary Problem” by creating an open primary where all candidates would appear on the same ballot and every eligible voter could participate. Up to four candidates with the most votes would advance to the general election, regardless of party. A companion initiative on this November’s ballot, CI-127, would require a majority winner in the general election.

As has been the case in other states with open primary initiatives, CI-126 withstood attempts by Montana politicians to kick it off the ballot. Last month, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen attempted to invalidate tens of thousands of voter signatures – a decision that was struck down by the courts.

‍Nick Troiano, Unite America Executive Director and author of The Primary Solution, issued the following statement celebrating the qualification:

“The backdoor partisan shenanigans we’re seeing in Montana - and in other states - make the case for open primaries. Voters deserve a fairer election system where they can hold their elected leaders accountable. And despite party bosses’ best efforts, it’s the voters who will have the final word in shaping Montana’s elections.

“Like the five other open primary initiatives headed toward the ballot this year, Montana’s initiative sends a clear message: Taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for partisan elections. And every eligible voter should have the freedom to vote for any candidate, regardless of party, in every taxpayer-funded election.

“Some politicians may not agree with those basic principles of fairness, but we’re proud to stand with the hundreds of thousands of Montanas - and millions of voters nationwide - who support open primaries.”