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Our call — vote YES
The measure
CI-133 is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment on Montana's November 3, 2026 ballot. It would write the people's initiative and referendum power into the state constitution's Declaration of Rights. Any government abridgment of that power would have to survive strict scrutiny. The amendment guarantees an impartial, predictable, transparent, and expeditious process: challenges must be resolved within 90 days; no government resources may be used for or against a measure; a measure may not be invalidated for a minor or technical deficiency; ample time must be allowed to gather signatures; and signers may withdraw their signatures.
What YES does
A yes vote elevates direct democracy to a protected constitutional right, with strict-scrutiny protection and hard procedural guarantees against official obstruction.
What NO does
A no vote leaves the initiative and referendum power in its current constitutional and statutory form, without the added rights-level protections.
The math
No fiscal note for this measure was published on its Ballotpedia page.
OUR CALL
Our call: YES.
The initiative process is the voters' check on their own government — the one tool that works when the legislature will not act. CI-133 protects that tool at the highest level of law: strict scrutiny for burdens, deadlines so challenges cannot be slow-walked to death, and a ban on spending public resources to fight the public's own measures. Returning power to voters is a core yes under our rubric.
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Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Sources
- Ballotpedia — Montana CI-133 measure page (accessed October 25, 2026)
- Ballotpedia — 2026 ballot measures — https://ballotpedia.org/2026_ballot_measures
Result pending. No verified call (Associated Press or official) as of November 4, 2026. This page will be updated when the race is called or certified. The original article above is unchanged.
AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.