Senate Bill 490, a proposal to revise late voter-registration hours for federal elections, won committee approval after a lengthy hearing and a roll-call vote.

Senator Mike Cuff introduced the bill as a ‘‘common sense’’ measure he said would let county election officials concentrate late-registration activity into less chaotic hours. ‘‘We open also 8 to 5 on Saturday morning before the election,’’ Cuff said, describing the bill’s core change to allow a full Saturday of registration and a shortened window on election day to noon so clerks can complete post-registration work on Monday.

County election officials and the secretary of state's office supported the bill. Austin James, testifying on behalf of Secretary of State Christy Jacobson, said the change would expand access for people who cannot register during weekday business hours and would not reduce total registration hours. ‘‘This bill does not reduce the amount of registration hours by 1 minute of current registration time. It instead reallocates those hours,’’ James said.

Clerks and election judges described operational strain from current same-day registration. Angie Paulson, Broadwater County Clerk and Recorder, said Saturday processing would reduce long lines and late-night work: ‘‘Election day is for voting. … For them to be able to process the bulk of those registrations on Saturday would help our voters and mitigate long lines.’’ Becky Stockton, a chief election judge from Lewis and Clark County, said earlier processing would help when copy machines fail or counties face unusually long lines.

Opponents included civil-rights and tribal advocates who said the change would reduce access for voters who rely on same-day registration. Henry Seaton of the ACLU of Montana told the committee that same-day registration is disproportionately used by Indigenous voters, young voters and voters with disabilities and that eliminating or narrowing it raises constitutional concerns. ‘‘The elimination of election day registration creates an unnecessary additional barrier to the ballot box that may ultimately result in denying the right to vote,’’ Seaton said. Patrick Yawaki, representing multiple tribes, said travel distances, limited mail delivery and work schedules make same-day registration essential for many reservation voters.

Committee members pressed for clarified language on timing. Several questioned whether the bill affects the voter’s right to register or the county office hours used for registration; legal counsel advised the language would be read in light of how the statute frames registration options for electors and the administrator duties.

An amendment to add a non-severability clause was adopted by voice. The committee then voted 6–3 on a roll call to pass SB 490 as amended. Votes recorded in the transcript show members split along concerns about access and election administration workload; the committee chair announced the final tally as 6 in favor, 3 opposed.

The committee also heard short, related administrative bills during the same hearing block, including measures about ballot processing and list maintenance for temporary change-of-address (snowbirds). Several clerks said operational fixes such as software updates might resolve some list-maintenance problems without statute changes.

What’s next: SB 490, as amended, cleared the committee and will go to the Senate for further consideration. The transcript records the committee-approved amendment and the roll-call result; legal challenges to similar measures have been filed previously in Montana, and opponents signaled they expect court review if the measure becomes law.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 490 — Motion: ‘‘Do pass’’ as amended (non-severability amendment). Roll-call result recorded in committee: 6 yes, 3 no. (See provenance.)
- Senate Bill 314 — Motion: ‘‘Do pass.’’ Passed in committee by voice vote. (See provenance.)
- Senate Bill 527 — Motion to table. Committee voted to table the bill (without objection at executive action).
- Senate Bill 499 — Motion to table. Committee moved to table the bill (executive action).

Sources: Committee hearing and executive action recorded on the transcript.