The Montana Secretary of State agreed in court to count inactive voter signatures for three proposed ballot issues. However, the office’s attorneys say that does not guarantee the measures will advance.
A district court in Helena ordered Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen to count inactive voter signatures toward ballot initiatives – after her attorneys had argued against it. During a hearing Friday, the state’s attorneys conceded and said the Secretary will comply.
The court’s order meant counties had to recount inactive voter signatures earlier this week. The Secretary of State’s office had blocked election software from accepting those voter signatures before the court’s order.
According to the state’s data, counties verified more than enough signatures to qualify three constitutional proposals on the ballot. One would protect access to abortion and two others would amend the state’s election process.
The Secretary of State’s office will now start certifying those signatures. The office has until August 22 to complete that work.
Another legal challenge is pending. A group of Republicans sued the state in Lake County alleging that the secretary’s office is not doing its due diligence to verify signatures, and asked the court to intervene.
