Why Montana Voters Are Being Asked to Sign a Petition

If you’ve been out running errands lately, there’s a good chance someone with a clipboard has tried to flag you down. It happened to us recently: my husband and I were out doing the usual weekend shopping when a volunteer approached and asked if we’d be willing to sign a petition. We said we’d have to look into it first, and here’s what we found.

The petition concerns how judges are listed on Montana election ballots - specifically, whether courts should be kept separate from partisan politics, or if party identification actually helps voters make more informed choices.

What the Petition Is Actually About

Across Montana, volunteers have been gathering signatures for a proposal that would change how judges appear on election ballots. The effort centers on keeping judicial races in the state structured as they have been for decades, where candidates for the bench run without party labels.

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Those backing the effort say the goal is to keep the courts from becoming more entangled with political organizations and campaign agendas. Whether it gets there depends entirely on how many registered voters sign on.

So if someone approaches you outside a grocery store, a parking lot, or a community event with a clipboard, now you know what they’re asking about.

How Montana Has Done It Since the 1930s

Montana has held judicial elections this way for nearly a century (since the mid-1930s). Those who want to keep it that way say the history isn’t just a fun fact; it reflects a deliberate choice to treat judges differently than other elected officials. The idea is that judges are there to interpret the law, not to represent a political party’s platform.

Backers of the petition say that the approach helps maintain confidence that cases are decided on legal arguments and constitutional principles rather than party priorities or campaign promises. They also say it can reduce the pressure on judges to publicly align with political positions.

The Money Factor: Outside Spending in Judicial Races

Supporters of the petition also point to recent election cycles in which large sums of money have been spent in races for Montana’s highest courts. They worry that if judicial campaigns become more closely tied to party structures, it could increase outside spending and political involvement in those races.

In their view, keeping the ballot format as is sends a clear signal: judges are meant to operate independently of the day-to-day grind of partisan politics.

The Other Side: Why Some Lawmakers Want Party Labels

Not everyone agrees with that approach. Some lawmakers have argued that identifying candidates by party could provide voters with more information about where a candidate’s legal philosophy might fall. Supporters of that idea have also said the courts have occasionally shown ideological leanings, especially after several laws passed by the legislature were overturned by judges in recent years. Those decisions involved issues such as voting rules, firearm policies, and abortion regulations.

From that perspective, some legislators believe transparency about a candidate’s political leanings is a feature, not a problem, and that voters deserve that context when they head to the polls.

What’s Already Changed, and What Hasn’t

There have already been attempts in recent years to change how judicial elections work in Montana. In 2025, proposals to formally add party labels to judicial races did not move forward. However, lawmakers passed a measure allowing political parties to donate to judicial campaigns, adding another layer to the ongoing discussion about how these elections should operate.

That development is part of what energized groups to start gathering petition signatures in the first place.

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What Happens Next

For now, the push is all about signatures. Organizers need enough registered voters to sign on in order to get the proposal placed on a future ballot. That’s why you’ll keep seeing volunteers posted up outside stores, at community events, and in parking lots asking if you have a minute. Whether you agree with the petition or not, it’s worth knowing what you’re being asked to weigh in on, and now you do.