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Hearing on bill to allow voluntary party preference on Montana voter registrations draws mixed testimony
Summary
Senate Bill 129 would let electors add a political-party preference to their voter registration. Sponsor Senator Trevis described it as voluntary freedom-of-association policy; tribal representatives and other witnesses warned it could burden election offices and compromise voter privacy.
Senator Ryan Trevis, sponsor and Senator for Senate District 10, told the committee that Senate Bill 129 would allow an individual to add a political party preference to a voter-registration record and that the party list on forms would track Montana ballot-access rules.
“An individual may choose a political party affiliation when completing the standard application form,” Trevis said. He described the change as voluntary and said the bill’s effective date was set to Jan. 1, 2026 to allow transition time.
Opponents and…
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