Yellowstone County data center ballot initiative will not be on November ballot
A ballot initiative led by Yellowstone County Voices, aimed at giving voters a say on data center development, will not appear on the November ballot due to a missed submission deadline. The group is challenging the county's interpretation of the deadline and plans to continue gathering signatures for a future vote, specifically referencing an AI data center being pushed by Quantica.
The Yellowstone County data center ballot initiative will not be included on the upcoming November ballot, according to local news reports. David Jay, representing the group Yellowstone County Voices, has been leading an effort to collect approximately 10,000 signatures to allow county voters to decide on the future of data center development, specifically mentioning an AI data center project by Quantica.
The controversy stems from conflicting information regarding the signature submission deadline. The county elections office initially informed the group that signatures were due by August 12th. However, a later examination of statutes revealed the actual deadline to be 113 days before the November 3rd election. Scott Twito, speaking at a meeting, attributed the miscommunication to a different date being established by the Montana legislature, criticizing public officials for 'absolute negligence.'
Despite the setback, Yellowstone County Voices expressed their intention to challenge the deadline and continue gathering signatures, aiming to get the initiative on a future ballot. They believe the county has been uncooperative from the start in their efforts to give voters a say, while county commissioners maintain a neutral stance on data centers, stating they are not actively trying to push through projects like Quantica's.