Montana judge: Signatures of inactive voters count for initiatives, including 1 to protect abortion

Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana judge says the Secretary of State’s Office was wrong to change the rules governing whose signatures should count on petitions for constitutional initiatives, including one to protect abortion rights. Officials had tried to omit the signatures of inactive voters after counties began verifying signatures. District Judge Mike Menahan said Tuesday that the signatures of inactive voters should count. He gave county election officials an extra week to verify those signatures. The abortion initiative and two other election initiatives are expected to qualify for the November ballot, even without the signatures of inactive voters. But Menahan said he was upholding citizens’ fundamental rights to participate in government.