This year, MontPIRG and the League of Women Voters collaborated with the Human Ecology Learning and Problem Solving (HELPS) Lab at Montana State University Bozeman to conduct a comprehensive survey of Montana voters. The survey focused on gathering insights into public opinions regarding Montana's Judicial System, the Redistricting and Apportionment Committee, and the Constitution.
Spanning from June 23, 2023, to August 18, 2023, the survey engaged 1,398 Montanans, representing diverse perspectives from nearly every county across the state. The findings unequivocally reveal that Montanans place significant trust in our system of checks and balances. Furthermore, the results indicate a strong preference among respondents to keep partisan politics at bay and prevent any interference in these crucial processes.
Key Findings:
Nine out of 10 Montanans said having three separate branches of government is the best way to protect Montanans’ constitutional rights and freedoms.
89 percent disagreed with the statement that Montana’s Supreme Court justices should make their decisions based on political party considerations and 71 percent disagreed that justices should run under party labels.
64 percent of surveyed voters agreed that Montana’s Supreme Court should have the authority to balance the power of the Legislative and Executive branches with 83 percent of Democrats, 62 percent of Independents and 60 percent of Republicans agreeing.
81 percent of Montanans believe the Districting and Apportionment Commission should maintain its current level of independence.
69 percent say the MT Supreme Court should help choose the final member of the Commission if the other four members cannot agree.
65 percent of Montanans disagree with the idea that the Legislature should appoint Commission members.