US EditionBallot measure in the works would preserve nonpartisan judicial campaigns in Montana
- A new political committee focused on maintaining nonpartisan judicial elections in Montana was officially registered in 2025 to spearhead a ballot initiative aimed at protecting the impartiality of the state's courts.
- This initiative follows failed Republican efforts to add party labels to judicial elections in multiple recent legislative sessions, including five bills in 2025.
- Ted Dick and Pepper Petersen, leaders of the committee and veterans of the 2020 marijuana legalization campaign, insist the effort will remain bipartisan and focus on keeping politics out of courts.
- Dick emphasized the importance of keeping political influence out of the judiciary, while Petersen asserted that governance belongs to the people rather than political parties, reflecting widespread community backing.
- If approved by voters in 2026, the measure would enshrine nonpartisan judicial elections in Montana’s constitution, blocking future partisan labeling attempts despite expected opposition.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Should judicial elections in Montana be non-partisan?
In 2026, judicial elections in Montana will be conducted without political party labels as they have been for decades after a series of proposals to change the system failed to pass the Legislature this year. Now, a new committee wants to ask Montana voters if they want to keep those elections nonpartisan by amending the state constitution.It doesn't matter what political party: political parties should not be determining how our judiciary is ru…
Ballot measure proposal seeks to enshrine Montana judicial elections as nonpartisan
In 2026, judicial elections in Montana will be conducted without political party labels as they have been for decades after a series of proposals to change the system failed to pass the Legislature this year. Now, a new committee wants to ask Montana voters if they want to keep those elections nonpartisan by amending the state constitution.It doesn't matter what political party: political parties should not be determining how our judiciary is ru…
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