r/MontanaPolitics • u/MontanaBear2022 • 21d ago

Election 2026 We need a true open primary

Montana likes to advertise itself as having an open primary but we do NOT. You are still forced to vote a party line ticket, youre mailed 3 separate ballots. Put everyone on one ballot, let people vote for the CANDIDATE (not party) of their choice and save money by only printing and sending one ballot.

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u/FreeZedrIedpiZzaPie 21d ago

Here's the thing to remember: primaries are not state elections, they are party elections. They are managed by county election offices, but they are not a requirement as part of montana law. So the parties can run them however they want, unless montana passes a law stating otherwise

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u/calloussaucer 21d ago

Parties cannot run primaries however they want in Montana. The legislature creates the election laws, the Secretary of State and county election officials administer the election under those laws. Parties can decide who is a party candidate (Trump can’t move to Montana and just decide to run as a Democrat), but they can’t decide who is allowed to vote in the primary or how they are ran (directly, I’m sure they lobby for it). That’s what makes Montana count as an “open primary” rather than a caucus or part-ran convention. What I believe OP would like to see is a a “jungle” where everyone is on one ballot. Good in theory, but I wonder if that would result in the option for governor would be either republican A or republican B. In theory those options would be more moderate, but would people truly like only republican options when voting even if they are moderate republicans?