House Bill No. [insert bill number] proposes to move municipal elections to even-numbered years, amending existing laws to reflect this change. Specifically, it modifies Section 13-1-104 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to require that municipal officer elections occur on general election day in even-numbered years, while eliminating the requirement for such elections to be held in odd-numbered years. Additionally, it amends Section 13-1-107 to remove the provision for primary elections in odd-numbered years and clarifies that the costs of municipal elections will be borne by the municipalities.

The bill also includes a transition plan for municipal officers whose terms end in January 2026, 2028, or 2030, stipulating that elections will be held for one-year terms to align with the new schedule. Furthermore, the bill contains a saving clause to protect rights and duties established before its effective date and states that it will take effect upon passage and approval, applying to all municipal elections scheduled thereafter.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 13-1-104
HB0221_1(1): 13-1-104
HB0221_1(10): 13-1-104
HB0221_1(2): 13-1-104
HB0221_1(3): 13-1-104
HB0221_1(4): 13-1-104
HB0221_1(5): 13-1-104
HB0221_1(6): 13-1-104
HB0221_1(7): 13-1-104
HB0221_1(8): 13-1-104
HB0221_1(9): 13-1-104
HB0221_1: 13-1-104
HB0221_2(1): 13-1-104, 13-1-107
HB0221_2(10): 13-1-104
HB0221_2(11): 13-1-104
HB0221_2(2): 13-1-104, 13-1-107
HB0221_2(3): 13-1-104
HB0221_2(4): 13-1-104
HB0221_2(5): 13-1-104
HB0221_2(6): 13-1-104
HB0221_2(7): 13-1-104
HB0221_2(8): 13-1-104
HB0221_2(9): 13-1-104
HB0221_2: 13-1-104, 13-1-107