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Bill would require photo ID at polling places; tribal and university IDs included as primary forms
Summary
Senate Bill 276 would require photo identification to vote at polling places and explicitly include tribal photo IDs and Montana University System IDs (and comparable NAIA college IDs) among acceptable forms; proponents said the bill restores tribal IDs to primary status after prior litigation.
Sen. Mike Cuff presented Senate Bill 276, which would require a photo form of identification at the polling place and specify acceptable documents, including Montana driver's licenses, tribal photo IDs, U.S. passports, military IDs, Montana concealed‑weapons permits and student photo IDs issued by Montana University System institutions and certain accredited private colleges.
Austin James, representing the Secretary of State, said the bill aligns statutory language with court guidance and specifically restores tribal identification to a primary category of acceptable IDs after prior litigation narrowed its application. "This would make Montana a state where we require photo ID to vote at a polling place," James said, adding that the language aims to cover tribal college IDs and NAIA institutions such as Carroll College and Rocky Mountain College.
Ravalli County Election Administrator Regina Plettenberg told the committee clerks support the bill; she and other proponents noted the measure applies only at the polling place and does not change voter registration rules. The bill retains a provisional‑ballot process for electors who cannot immediately provide ID and includes a pathway to cure the provisional ballot with documentation.
Opponents did not appear in the committee record. Committee members asked about implementation details and whether the bill would accommodate tribal college IDs and private university IDs; proponents said the bill's draft language was adjusted to include those institutions explicitly.
No committee vote was recorded during the hearing.
