On April 24, the Montana Senate passed HB 120, which now goes to the Governor. This is the Secretary of State’s omnibus election law bill, and it includes two ballot access improvements: (1) moving the non-presidential independent deadline from March to May; (2) eliminating a restriction on who can be an independent presidential or vice-presidential candidate. Montana becomes the second state, after Virginia, in which a legislature has passed a bill in 2013 to improve ballot access for minor parties or independent candidates.

Bills to improve ballot access are pending in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.