Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 13. ELECTIONS

CHAPTER 35. ELECTION AND CAMPAIGN PRACTICES AND CRIMINAL PROVISIONS

Part 2. Specific Provisions

Coercion Or Undue Influence Of Voters

13-35-218. Coercion or undue influence of voters. (1) A person, directly or indirectly, individually or through any other person, in order to induce or compel a person to vote or refrain from voting for any candidate, the ticket of any political party, or any ballot issue before the people, may not:

(a) use or threaten to use any force, coercion, violence, restraint, or undue influence against any person; or

(b) inflict or threaten to inflict, individually or with any other person, any temporal or spiritual injury, damage, harm, or loss upon or against any person.

(2) A person may not, by abduction, duress, or any fraudulent contrivance, impede or prevent the free exercise of the franchise by any voter at any election or compel, induce, or prevail upon any elector to give or to refrain from giving the elector's vote at any election.

(3) A person may not, in any manner, interfere with a voter lawfully exercising the right to vote at an election in order to prevent the election from being fairly held and lawfully conducted.

(4) A person on election day may not obstruct the doors or entries of any polling place or engage in any solicitation of a voter within the room where votes are being cast or elsewhere in any manner that in any way interferes with the election process or obstructs the access of voters to or from the polling place.

History: En. 23-47-126 by Sec. 26, Ch. 334, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 23-47-126; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 561, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 99, Ch. 56, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 59, Ch. 336, L. 2013.