HELENA Montana’s attorney
general warned voters
Monday to pay attention to
details before signing any of the
petitions trying to get on the
November ballot.
The message from Attorney
General Mike McGrath follows
complaints of deceptive practices
by some signature gatherers.
Some people complained
that they were asked to sign a
petition, only to find the signature
gatherers were trying to get
them to sign three different petitions
without telling them.
“If voters opt to sign a petition,
they should remember that
they sign each petition only
once, on one signature line,”
McGrath said.
The attorney general said signature
gatherers are expected
near primary polling places
today, looking to get enough signatures
before a June 23 deadline
to qualify ballot measures
for the November general election.
The signature gathering complaints
targeted three petitions
being pushed by a conservative
group.
Constitutional Initiative 97
would amend the Montana
Constitution to cap state spending;
CI-98 would make it easier
to recall judges; and Initiative
154 would change state law to
make it harder for government
to condemn private property for
public use.
About 44,600 signatures are
needed for the constitutional
measures and 22,300 for the regular
initiative.
