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bill NO. _____________
INTRODUCED
BY _________________________________________________
By Request of the ****
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT revising laws related to deceptive election practices; AMENDING SECTION 13-35-207, MCA; and PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Section 13-35-207, MCA, is amended to read:
"13-35-207. Deceptive election practices. A person is guilty of false swearing, unsworn falsification, or tampering with public records or information, as appropriate, and is punishable as provided in 45-7-202, 45-7-203, or 45-7-208, as applicable, perjury as provided in 45-7-201 whenever the person:
(1) falsely represents the person's name or other information required upon the person's voter registration form and causes registration with the form;
(2) signs a voter registration form knowingly witnessing any false or misleading statement;
(3) knowingly causes a false statement, certificate, or return of any kind to be signed;
(4) falsely makes a declaration or certificate of nomination;
(5) files or receives for filing a declaration or certificate of nomination knowing that all or part of the declaration or certificate is false;
(6) forges or falsely makes the official endorsement of a ballot;
(7) forges or counterfeits returns of an election purporting to have been held at a precinct, municipality, or ward where no election was in fact held;
(8) knowingly substitutes forged or counterfeit returns of election in place of the true returns for a precinct, municipality, or ward where an election was held;
(9) signs a name other than the person's own to a petition, signs more than once for the same ballot issue, or signs a petition while not being a qualified elector of the state; or
(10) makes a false oath or affidavit where an oath or affidavit is required by law."
NEW SECTION. Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.