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HB125 • 2025

Revise laws related to the conduct of school district elections

Revise laws related to the conduct of school district elections

Education Elections
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
David Bedey
Last action
2025-05-08
Official status
Chapter Number Assigned
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on training requirements for election judges, only that they must meet the existing training and certification requirements of another section (13-4-203).

Changes to School District Election Judge Qualifications

This law changes the qualifications for election judges in school district elections by allowing qualified voters from the county where an election is held, not just those within the school district.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows qualified registered electors in the county where a school district election is happening to serve as election judges.
  • Requires that election judges cannot be candidates or close family members of candidates in the election.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Election judges for school district elections
  • School districts conducting elections

Terms To Know

qualified registered electors
voters who are allowed to vote in an election and meet certain requirements.
county election administrator
the person or office responsible for managing elections at the county level.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if there are not enough qualified people to be election judges.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect the fairness of school district elections.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-08 HOUSE

    Chapter Number Assigned

  2. 2025-05-05 HOUSE

    (H) Signed by Governor

  3. 2025-04-25 SENATE

    (S) Signed by President

  4. 2025-04-25 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Governor

  5. 2025-04-23 HOUSE

    (H) Signed by Speaker

  6. 2025-04-16 HOUSE

    (H) Returned from Enrolling

  7. 2025-04-14 SENATE

    (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading

  8. 2025-04-14 SENATE

    (S) 3rd Reading Concurred

  9. 2025-04-14 HOUSE

    (H) Sent to Enrolling

  10. 2025-04-12 SENATE

    (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  11. 2025-04-12 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Concurred

  12. 2025-04-11 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Pass Consideration

  13. 2025-03-25 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Pass Consideration

  14. 2025-03-20 SENATE

    (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred

  15. 2025-03-19 SENATE

    (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred

  16. 2025-02-21 SENATE

    (S) Hearing

  17. 2025-02-11 SENATE

    (S) Referred to Committee

  18. 2025-01-28 SENATE

    (S) First Reading

  19. 2025-01-27 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading

  20. 2025-01-27 HOUSE

    (H) 3rd Reading Passed

  21. 2025-01-27 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Senate

  22. 2025-01-24 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  23. 2025-01-24 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Passed

  24. 2025-01-21 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed

  25. 2025-01-21 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed

  26. 2025-01-14 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  27. 2025-01-08 HOUSE

    (H) Referred to Committee

  28. 2025-01-08 HOUSE

    (H) First Reading

  29. 2025-01-07 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester

  30. 2025-01-07 HOUSE

    (H) Introduced

  31. 2024-12-31 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery

  32. 2024-12-28 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Assembly

  33. 2024-12-27 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing

  34. 2024-12-27 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review

  35. 2024-12-26 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Edit

  36. 2024-12-22 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Legal Review

  37. 2024-11-16 HOUSE

    (LC) Drafter Assigned

Official Summary Text

Revise laws related to the conduct of school district elections

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 125
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 125
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT REVISING ELECTION JUDGE QUALIFICATIONS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTIONS;
ALLOWING QUALIFIED REGISTERED ELECTORS IN THE COUNTY WHERE THE ELECTION IS BEING
HELD TO SERVE AS ELECTION JUDGES; AMENDING SECTION 20-20-109, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN
IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Section 20-20-109, MCA, is amended to read:
"20-20-109. Election judges -- qualifications -- training. (1) Election (a) Except as provided in
subsection (1)(b), election judges must be qualified registered electors of the school district in which they serve.
(b) If a county election administrator agrees to conduct an election pursuant to 20-20-417, election
judges must be qualified registered electors in the county in which they serve.
(2) An election judge may not be:
(a) the candidate;
(b) an ascendant, descendant, brother, or sister of a candidate; or
(c) the spouse of the candidate or of any of the individuals listed in subsection (2)(b).
(3) School election judges must meet the training and certification requirements of 13-4-203."
Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.
- END -
I hereby certify that the within bill,
HB 125, originated in the House.
___________________________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
___________________________________________
Speaker of the House
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
___________________________________________
President of the Senate
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
HOUSE BILL NO. 125
INTRODUCED BY D. BEDEY, M. BERTOGLIO, W. MCKAMEY, J. DARLING
AN ACT REVISING ELECTION JUDGE QUALIFICATIONS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTIONS; ALLOWING
QUALIFIED REGISTERED ELECTORS IN THE COUNTY WHERE THE ELECTION IS BEING HELD TO SERVE
AS ELECTION JUDGES; AMENDING SECTION 20-20-109, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE
EFFECTIVE DATE.