Latest Developments
Laws and policies governing campaign finance and practice, ethics, and lobbying change regularly as a result of legislative initiatives and litigation outcomes. As those changes become effective, CPP's duties as well as the office's manuals, guidance, and educational resources must also evolve. The pages below are intended to provide timely communication of latest developments for candidates, committees, campaign staff, lobbyists, and the public.
SB 224, enacted by the 2021 Legislature, revised campaign finance laws including campaign contribution limits. A table summarizing the changes and a guide listing the new limits are provided below.
The 2021 Montana Code Annotated is now available on the Montana State Legislature website. This version of the MCA incorporates the changes enacted through the bills listed below.
2021 legislation changing campaign finance, lobbying, and ethics include:
Campaign Finance
HB 71 - Revise Campaign Finance Dates for Municipal Elections
SB 224 - Generally Revise Campaign Finance laws (includes campaign finance limits and a number of revisions in reporting requirements)
SB 319 - Generally Revise Campaign Finance laws including Joint Fundraising Committees
HB 221 - Campaign Contributions allowed for Child Care
Lobbying
SB 1 - Conform Lobbying Definition
Ethics
HB 95 - Revise Ethics Laws related to Confidentiality
COPP has been working to modify CERS for consistency with enacted legislation allowing creation of Joint Fundraising Committees (SB 319), revising campaign finance limits (SB 224), and other campaign finance and practices statute revisions.
This is an ongoing process and CERS changes will continue to be implemented through 2022.
The COPP completed a major overhaul of the Principal and Lobbyist Online Reporting System (PLORS) immediately prior to the January 2021 legislative session.
Campaign Legal Center’s 2021 ‘Top Ten Transparency Updates’ selected and highlighted Montana's Principal and Lobbyist Online Reporting System
Check this space for links to the latest CPP training videos, documents, and other campaign finance and practice educational resources.
Tip #6 - Guidance on reporting your filing fee
Tip #5B - Guidance on reporting contributions received at fundraining event (committees)
Tip #5 - Guidance on reporting contributions received at a fundraising event
Tip #4 - Guidance on reporting contributions made through online donor platforms
Tip #3 - Guidance on reporting coordinated expenditures - candidates
Tip # 2 - Guidance on use of official uniform, title in political ads
Tip # 1 - Attribution requirements for candidates
Candidate C7 & C&E Training Zoom Recording
Candidate C7 & C7E Training Power Point and PDF
Committee C7 & C7E Training Power Point and PDF
School Candidate C7 and C7E training Power Point and PDF
Campaign Accounts & Banking Requirements - Candidate Guidance (PDF)
2022 Filing and COPP Filing Information handout (PDF)
2022 Candidate Campaign Reporting Presentation (April 2022 zoom recording) (Download Power Point Presentation slides)
2022 Candidate Campaign Reporting Bozeman Presentation (Zoom recording)
2022 Candidate Campaign Reporting Presentation (Zoom recording)(Download PP as PDF)
2022 Committee Finance Reporting Presentation (Zoom recording) (PowerPoint) (PDF)
2022 Committee Finance Reporting video (March 2022 Zoom recording)
2022 Candidate Campaign Finance Responsibilities Presentation - General overview (PP)(PDF)
2022 Committee Finance Reporting Responsibilities Presentation - General overview (PP) (PDF)
2022 School Candidate Filing & Reporting via ZOOM recording passcode A5Y5p#gk (PowerPoint) (PDF)
2022 COPP Election Administrator Training Presentation (PowerPoint)
Municipal Candidate Campaign Finance Training Presentation June, 2021 Zoom Recording;
Municipal Candidate Campaign Finance Training Presentation July, 2021 Zoom recording (starts around 6 min mark) Materials here - Powerpoint Presentation, PDF
Municipal C7/C7E Campaign Finance Report Training August, 2021 Zoom Recording. Materials here - Powerpoint Presentation, PDF
Municipal C7/C7E Campaign Finance Report Training October 2021 (updated) Zoom Recording - PDF
CPP manuals updated for consistency with laws enacted by the 2021 Legislature and associated policies and guidance:
Campaign Finance and Practice Laws (Blue Book)
Accounting and Reporting Manual for Candidates (Green Book)
Accounting and Reporting Manual for Committees (Pink Book)
CERS Guides updated with the latest changes to CERS:
Candidate & Treasurer Guide to Navigating CERS - January 2022
Committe & Treasurer Guide to Navigating CERS - January 2022
Changes to COPP administrative rules (ARM Chapters 44.10, 44.11, and 44.12) are warranted as a result of enacted 2021 legislation affecting campaign finance and practices, lobbying, and ethics statutes. Proposed rule changes submitted to the Secretary of State will be posted here when they become available.
- Notice of Proposed Amendment 44.11.224, 44.11.226, 44.11.227, 44.11.406, 44.11.409, 44.11.502, 44.11.603 made necessary by SB 224 and SB 226 (2021) and SB 115 (2019)
Information about court decisions related to the COPP's jurisdiction and operations will be posted here.
Montana Citizens Right to Work v. Mangan Opinion and Order
This decision found Montana's Clean Campaign Act (Fair Notice) unconstitutional 1/19/2022
COPP, along with the office of the Secretary of State, the Montana Association of Counties, county election administrators, and legislators, has been participating in a Montana Election Process Workgroup to develop educational materials on integrity of Montana's elections. Informational documents will be provided here when they become available.
Montana Voter Information: Elections in Montana Q and A
Part 1. Voter Registration
Part 2. Absentee Voting
Part 3. Ballot Security
Part 4. Voting Equipment
Part 5. Voter Responsibility
Part 6. Did You Know?
Part 7. Contact Information
Visit the Montana Secretary of State Election Facts page and Vote Ready page
Glossary of Election Terminology - US Election Assistance Commission
Election Administrator Contact Information (maintained by SOS)
2022 Primary and General Election Calendar (SOS)
Example of how ballots are processed - Yellowstone County
Invitation for Election Judges - Sample letter from Yellowstone County
Montana Voter System Equipment & Certification Information (SOS)
Post-Election Audits: 2022 Primary (Info_How) Primary election statewide audit (Results)
Disinformation Toolkit (PDF) - Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Disinformation Stops with You (Graphics, PDF from CISA)
Disinformation and Misinformation Resource Links - USC Election Security Initiative
How Ballot Tabulators Improve Elections - Bipartisan Policy Center
Budget
COPP Agency Requested Bills
SB31- Repeal Montana Ballot Interference Prevention Act (Bill sponsor: Sen. McKamey)
SB30- Repeal Clean Campaign Act (Bill sponsor: Sen. McKamey)
SB61- Clarify Definition of Election Officials (Bill sponsor: Sen. Ellis)
HB 510 - Revise certification timeline laws for city candidates (Bill sponsor: Rep. Kelly Kortum)
Other