Dear Editor,
What do constitutional initiatives CI-126 or CI-127 do? The petition language is:
“CI-126 amends the Montana Constitution to provide a top-four primary election open to all voters and candidates followed by a general election. All candidates appear on a single primary election ballot, and the four candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general election. The ballot may list a candidate’s political party preference, but a candidate is not required to be nominated by a political party to qualify for the ballot. If candidates are required to gather signatures, the number required may not exceed five percent of the votes received by the winning candidate in the last election. CI-126 applies to elections for governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state representative, state senator, United States representative, United States Senator, and other offices as provided by law”.
“CI-127 amends the Montana Constitution to provide that elections for certain offices must be decided by majority vote as determined as provided by law rather than by a plurality or the largest amount of the votes. If it cannot be determined who received a majority of votes because two or more candidates are tied, then the winner of the election will be determined as provided by law. CI-127 applies to elections for governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state representative, state senator, United States representative, United States Senator, and other offices as provided by law”.
Neither initiative establishes rank-choice voting.
CI-126 would mean that elective ballots would list candidate names with or without party identification as the city council and school trustee ballots do. The top four candidates may be listed on another election ballot if none receive 50% + 1 of the votes.
If CI-126 passes, it is more likely that the winning candidate would receive less than 50% of the vote, as voting would be split among four candidates. CI-127 would address the potential for the winning candidates to have as little as 26% of the vote by requiring the legislature to create a mechanism for ensuring the winning candidate receives the majority of the votes.
If voters do not approve CI-126 but do approve CI-127, the Montana Legislature would implement CI127 with new legislation to define how elections must result in winners with a majority of votes. Adopting CI-127, with or without adopting CI-126, would require that the final election winners represent the majority of voters casting ballots in their districts.
Pam Ellis
