Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 13. ELECTIONS

CHAPTER 3. PRECINCTS AND POLLING PLACES

Part 1. Designation of Precincts and Polling Places

Establishment Of Election Precincts

13-3-101. Establishment of election precincts. (1) The territorial unit for elections is the election precinct. All election precincts must be designated by numbers, names, or both.

(2) The governing body of each county shall establish a convenient number of election precincts, equalizing the number of electors in each precinct as nearly as possible. A precinct may not contain more than 2,500 registered voters. This subsection may only be applied at the time a county governing body revises precinct boundaries pursuant to 13-3-102, and except as provided in subsection (3), it may not be otherwise construed to require a county governing body to revise the boundaries of precincts more frequently due to fluctuations of registered voters within the precinct between districting and apportionment plans adopted under Article V, section 14, of the Montana constitution.

(3) If fluctuations in the number of registered voters result in a precinct with 3,750 or more registered voters, the governing body shall adjust the precinct boundaries to contain 2,500 or fewer registered voters. If the governing body is required to make an adjustment to a precinct boundary pursuant to this subsection, the governing body is not required to make the adjustment during a year in which a federal election is scheduled but shall make the adjustment in the next year during which there is not a regularly scheduled federal election.

History: En. Sec. 18, Ch. 368, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 171, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 23-3101(1), (2), (3)(b); amd. Sec. 47, Ch. 571, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 235, L. 2023.