Nonpartisan judicial elections
Montana has citizen-initiated constitutional measures (CI-131/CI-132) for the 2026 ballot that would require Supreme Court and district court elections to be nonpartisan, prohibiting party labels including independent on ballots. Supporters aim to reduce partisanship in the judiciary; the measures have advanced through signature and approval stages.
Should elections for Montana Supreme Court and district court judges be constitutionally required to be nonpartisan, without party labels on the ballot?
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Sources
Ted Dick — https://sosmt.gov/elections/ballot_issues/proposed-2026-ballot-issues
CI-131 (Ballot Issue #3) Subject: A constitutional initiative that, if passed, mandates Montana supreme court and district court elections be non-partisan. A non-partisan election prohibits labeling candidates on the ballot according to the political party the candidate aligns with including labels like independent.
Ballotpedia — https://ballotpedia.org/Montana_2026_ballot_measures
Montana CI-131, Nonpartisan Supreme and District Court Elections Initiative (2026) ... Require that elections for the Montana Supreme Court and Montana District Courts to be nonpartisan in the Montana Constitution
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
- Yes, fully nonpartisan judicial elections with no party labels to maximize independence from politics
- Yes, prefer nonpartisan formats but allow limited voter information on affiliations
- Neutral or undecided; evaluate case-by-case without a constitutional mandate
- Keep partisan labels available so voters know judges' broad philosophical alignments
- No, retain or expand partisan judicial elections for clearer accountability to voters