A campaign submitted 50,000 signatures to county officials on June 16 for verification to qualify a ballot initiative that would prohibit nonprofits, trusts, partnerships, corporations, trade associations, or unincorporated associations, and all entities doing business in Montana from contributing to campaigns, ballot measure elections, or political parties. The initiative classifies these entities as artificial persons and prohibits them from political spending. Violations of the law would result in forfeiting all privileges to do business in Montana.
To qualify an initiated state statute in Montana, petitioners need to collect signatures equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election (30,121 signatures). Montana also has a distribution requirement that requires proponents to collect signatures equal to 5% of the qualified electors in each of one-third (34) of the state's 100 legislative districts.
Transparent Election Initiative, the campaign behind the initiative, filed the initiative on Jan. 8, 2026. It was cleared for signature gathering on March 10.
The initiative was endorsed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in May. Buttigieg explained his support, saying, “Americans don't have to accept a system where absurd amounts of corporate and dark money drown out their voices. A change to the law could ensure that elected leaders are more accountable to the people, which means a chance to finally break through and deliver on key issues from housing to health care. I'm glad to do my part to support these efforts and believe The Montana Plan could be a blueprint for how to put citizen voices, not special interests, at the center of our politics.”
The Montana Chamber of Commerce opposes the initiative. The chamber said, "I-194 would prohibit Montana businesses and nonprofits from participating in the political process. Under this initiative, family-owned businesses including farms, ranches, restaurants, and retail stores could not respond publicly to a ballot initiative targeting them. A Main Street restaurant could not support a local levy to improve public safety. A small business coalition could not push back against misleading claims that threaten their livelihoods and their employees’ jobs. These are not hypothetical concerns; they are the everyday realities of how Montana businesses engage in the civic life of our communities."
In 1996, voters approved a prohibition on corporate contributions to ballot measure campaigns. The state legislature expanded the prohibition to prohibit contributions or expenditures in ballot issue campaigns by corporations, partnerships, associations, and tax-exempt organizations except through separate political funds funded by voluntary contributions with the passage of House Bill 575 in 1997. The law was challenged by a veto referendum in 1998, which voters upheld, but the law was later struck down in court. In 2012, Montana voters approved an initiative to ban corporate contributions and expenditures in elections. However, the measure was overturned in 2013.
In Montana, an average of 21 initiatives were filed each even-year cycle between 2010 and 2024, with an average of two initiatives certified for the ballot each cycle. For 2026, 12 initiatives were filed with the Montana Secretary of State. One other ballot initiative, CI-132, has submitted signatures in Montana for November. The initiative would add a new section to the Montana Constitution stating that “Judicial elections shall remain nonpartisan.” Judicial elections are currently nonpartisan in the state. By adding the requirement to the state constitution, changing judicial elections would require another vote by the electorate.
In 2024, three initiatives qualified for the ballot in Montana with an average cost-per-required-signature of $27.42 and an average total cost of $1.7 million.
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