30 March 2018 — 1752 mdt
Montana Green Party's predicament deepens &
Primary election write-in votes needed in MT House districts
Yesterday the Montana Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices alleging that a Las Vegas political firm helped collect signatures on the petitions that qualified the Green Party for the Montana ballot. Holly Michels has the story, and a copy of the complaint, at the Missoulian.
The Democrats allege that Advanced Micro Targeting failed to comply with two sections of Montana’s campaign finance reporting laws, but do not, reports Michels, accuse the Greens of wrongdoing:
The complaint is against the Las Vegas company, not the Montana Green Party, and does not claim any improper actions by the latter group.
“It is clear that an out-of-state political firm with ties to the Republican Party and a history of misleading voters was hired to electioneer in Montana,” said Montana Democrats executive director Nancy Keenan in an emailed statement.
“However, the names of who bankrolled this extensive effort are being hidden from the people of Montana. Montanans demand truth in our elections, and we deserve to know if out-of-state dark money is trying to influence our democracy.”
We also deserve to know whether in-state dark money bankrolled AMT.
Meanwhile, Don Judge and Jim Larson continue to examine the petitions, looking for errors that could disqualify signatures. If they can find a factual basis, no matter how flimsy, to argue for a disqualification, I expect they’ll ask a court to remove the Green Party from the ballot.
It would be difficult to overstate how angry Democrats are with the Green Party, and with Democrats who, exasperated with Jon Tester’s election year slide to the right, might cast a green vote to protest his cuddling up to the Republicans. Defections may occur, but I think most Democrats will stick with Tester no matter how much he infuriates them given the stakes. But it doesn’t help Tester when his loyalists treat his Democratic critics as fools, knaves, and ungrateful children.
Nomination by write-in votes in the primary election
While Democrats look for ways to kick the Greens out of the election, the Greens may try to nominate more candidates through write-in campaigns in the primary election. Write-in candidates must receive at least five percent of the votes received by the winner of the office sought in the last general election.
For seats in the Montana House of Representatives, that ranges from 69 votes in HD-26 to 263 votes in HD-62. In 96 of Montana’s 100 house districts, 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein received fewer votes than would be required for a write-in nomination. Download write-in thresholds spreadsheet.
Democrats, Libertarians, and Republicans, also can be nominated by write-in votes. In Kalispell’s HD-8, where Republican John Fuller is opposed only by a Libertarian, 184 write-in votes would put a Democrat on the general election ballot.
On average, more write-in votes are required in MT House districts won by Republicans than in MT House districts won by Democrats.
