Senate Bill No. [insert bill number] seeks to enhance election procedures in Montana, particularly for Indian reservations. It requires each federally recognized Indian tribe to collaborate with county officials to establish at least one permanent satellite election office within their reservation boundaries, operational at least seven days before regular voter registration begins. This office must offer services comparable to the main county election office, including access to replacement ballots and in-person absentee voting. The bill also mandates that precinct polling place notices include specific locations within Indian reservations and allows for the use of nontraditional addresses for voter registration.

Additionally, the bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to improve voter registration processes, such as recognizing tribal photo identification cards without a residential address or expiration date and permitting the use of nontraditional addresses for voter registration. It clarifies that tribal governments can designate buildings as residential or mailing addresses for electors on reservations. The bill also establishes new requirements for provisional ballots, ensuring they are counted if the voter's identity or eligibility is verified, and mandates that voters receive explanations regarding the status of their provisional ballots. Furthermore, it requires at least one ballot deposit location for each town over 13 miles from a satellite election office, with tribal governments responsible for selecting these locations, and sets an effective date of January 1, 2026, for these changes.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 13-2-110, 13-3-105, 13-13-114, 13-13-201, 13-15-107, 13-19-307
SB0220_1(1): 13-2-110, 13-3-105, 13-13-114, 13-13-201, 13-15-107, 13-19-307
SB0220_1(2): 13-2-110, 13-3-105, 13-13-114, 13-13-201, 13-15-107, 13-19-307
SB0220_1(3): 13-2-110, 13-3-105, 13-13-114, 13-13-201, 13-15-107, 13-19-307
SB0220_1(4): 13-2-110, 13-3-105, 13-13-114, 13-13-201, 13-15-107, 13-19-307
SB0220_1(5): 13-2-110, 13-3-105, 13-13-114, 13-13-201, 13-15-107, 13-19-307
SB0220_1(6): 13-2-110, 13-3-105, 13-13-114, 13-13-201, 13-15-107, 13-19-307
SB0220_1: 13-2-110, 13-3-105, 13-13-114, 13-13-201, 13-15-107, 13-19-307