Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB187: Revise election laws to remove continuous tabulation requirement
Status: Chaptered, May 20, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act entitled: "an act revising election laws related to ballot tabulation; removing the continuous tabulation requirement; amending section 1315-101, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.".
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING ELECTION LAWS RELATED TO BALLOT TABULATION; REMOVING THE CONTINUOUS TABULATION REQUIREMENT; AMENDING SECTION 1315-101, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: Section 1. Section 13-15-101, MCA, is amended to read: "13-15-101. Votes to be publicly counted -- return forms. (1) (a) Any official vote count must be open to public observation, including but not limited to resolution and counting areas. (b) Counties that perform tabulation using a vote-counting machine on the day prior to the election shall continue until all available ballots that can be legally counted have been are tabulated or 5 p.m., whichever is earlier. The results of the tabulation may not be made publicly available until after the close of polls on election day and only after all voters have completed voting on election day in the county. (c) (i) On election day, tabulation must begin and continue without adjournment until all available ballots that can be legally counted have been tabulated except pending unresolved resolution board ballots, provisional ballots, or military overseas ballots. (ii)(i) Immediately once after all voters in a county have completed voting on election day, but no earlier than 8 p.m., the election administrator in the county shall provide the initial results to …
Sponsors
- Carter, Bob (D, 96) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (H) Died in Process
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : (S) 3rd Reading Concurred
- : (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
Subjects: Elections, Counties
Common questions
- What is HB187?
- HB187 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Revise election laws to remove continuous tabulation requirement.
- What does HB187 do?
- In its own words: A bill for an act entitled: "an act revising election laws related to ballot tabulation; removing the continuous tabulation requirement; amending section 1315-101, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.".
- What is the status of HB187?
- Chaptered as of May 20, 2025. Latest action: (H) Died in Process (May 20, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB187?
- Carter, Bob (D, 96).
- Where is the official record for HB187?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2114
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.