Montana voters will decide Constitutional Initiative 132 (CI-132) in the November 3, 2026 general election. The proposal addresses whether judicial elections must remain nonpartisan under the Montana Constitution.
What Montana does now
Montana’s judicial elections are currently nonpartisan under state law. Judicial candidates appear without political-party labels, and these election rules can ordinarily be changed by legislation.
What CI-132 would change
CI-132 would add Section 12 to Article VII of the Montana Constitution: “Judicial elections shall remain nonpartisan.” Putting that rule in the Constitution would make it harder to change than an ordinary statute.
What CI-132 would not do
The proposal does not abolish judicial elections or switch Montana to a system in which judges are appointed rather than elected. It does not decide any specific judicial race or guarantee a judge’s personal views. Its focus is the nonpartisan structure of the elections.
What a Yes or No vote means
A Yes vote approves the constitutional requirement for nonpartisan judicial elections. A No vote rejects that constitutional change, leaving the existing statutory election rules in place unless changed separately. The Montana Secretary of State lists CI-132 as qualified for the 2026 general election ballot.
Sources
Montana Secretary of State — 2026 ballot issues and qualification status; Official Montana Voter Information Pamphlet; Montana Supreme Court — 2025 ruling concerning the initiative’s ballot statement.
By Steven Bullcoming Haworth | Truth in Focus | Copyright © 2026 Steven Bullcoming Haworth & Corry Bullcoming. All rights reserved.