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Senate bill would extend electioneering buffer to 100 feet from the line; counties warn drive-through voting complicates enforcement
Summary
Sen. Mike Yakovich's SB 281 would make it illegal to campaign within 100 feet of a voter line. County clerks and the Commissioner of Political Practices described enforcement challenges for drive-through ballot lines and late registration, and the sponsor signaled openness to a carve-out for vehicle voting.
Senator Mike Yakovich (YAKAWICH) presented Senate Bill 281 to establish a 100-foot prohibition on electioneering measured from the voter line rather than from a static point at the door.
"This bill is talking about a hundred feet from the line," Yakovich told the committee, framing the change as an effort to keep voters in line free from last-minute solicitation and confusion.
Proponents supported the concept. Patrick Yawaki, speaking for several tribal communities, said SB 281 "keeps reasonable distance to not unlawfully influence a Montana elector's vote right before a ballot is…
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