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Bill to stagger petition turn‑ins draws sharp debate over voter access and administrative burden
Summary
SB226 would require petition gatherers to turn in collected signatures periodically (roughly every four weeks) rather than in large last‑minute 'dumps'; county clerks said the change would reduce emergency workloads, while opponents warned it could disenfranchise signers and urged penalties aimed at ballot committees instead.
Senate Bill 226, offered by Sen. Mike Cuff, would require petition circulators and committees to submit signatures to county election offices on a rolling schedule (the draft language discussed a roughly four‑week interval). Sponsor testimony said the measure responds to the 2024 petition cycle when counties received large late deliveries that overwhelmed staff and risked missing constitutional deadlines.
Ravalli County election administrator Regina…
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