_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT revising laws on nonparty candidate ballot access; providing signature requirements for state house, state senate, and county commission offices; and AMENDING SECTION 13-10-502, MCA."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Section 13-10-502, MCA, is amended to read:

"13-10-502. Signature requirements for petition. (1) The petition for nomination must be signed by electors residing within the state and district or political subdivision in which the officer or officers are to be elected. Each signature line must contain spaces for the signature, post-office address, and printed last name of the signer.

(2) The number of signatures must be:

(a) 50 signatures for a candidate for the state house;

(b) 100 signatures for a candidate for the state senate;

(c) 100 signatures or 2% or more of the total vote cast for the successful candidate for county commission at the last general election, whichever number of signatures is less; or

(d) for all other offices, 5% or more of the total vote cast for the successful candidate for the same office at the last general election.

(3) If the office sought is a new office or the boundaries of the district or political subdivision in which the election is to be held have changed since the last election for the office, the officer with whom nominations for the office sought are filed shall determine the number of signatures required for a petition of nomination for that office."