House Bill No. [insert number] aims to enhance judicial transparency in elections by allowing judicial candidates to declare their political party affiliation on their nomination declarations and have that affiliation appear on the ballot. The bill introduces new sections that permit candidates to announce their political party affiliations and endorsements, thereby providing voters with more information about the candidates. Additionally, it amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to ensure that if a judicial candidate indicates a political party affiliation, it will be displayed alongside their name on the ballot. If a candidate does not declare an affiliation, their name will be marked as "Undisclosed."

The bill also makes specific amendments to existing laws regarding the arrangement and preparation of ballots, ensuring that the political party affiliation of judicial candidates is clearly indicated. For instance, it modifies Section 13-10-209 to require that a candidate's political party affiliation appears with their name on the ballot, and it updates Section 13-14-112 to allow judicial candidates to indicate their political party affiliation on their declarations. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 13-10-209, 13-10-602, 13-12-203, 13-14-112, 13-14-115
HB0295_1(1): 13-10-209, 13-10-602, 13-12-203, 13-14-112, 13-14-115
HB0295_1(2): 13-10-209, 13-10-602, 13-12-203, 13-14-112, 13-14-115
HB0295_1(3): 13-10-209, 13-10-602, 13-12-203, 13-14-112, 13-14-115
HB0295_1(4): 13-10-209, 13-10-602, 13-12-203, 13-14-112, 13-14-115
HB0295_1: 13-10-209, 13-10-602, 13-12-203, 13-14-112, 13-14-115