Montana Supreme Court vacates Butte data center injunction, says ballots have already gone out
The Montana Supreme Court has vacated an injunction, meaning Local Initiative 00-02 will not appear on the November ballot in Butte. The initiative, pushed by 406 People First, aimed to require a special election for future data center development decisions. The court's decision was due to ballots already having been printed and mailed without the initiative included.
The Montana Supreme Court has vacated an injunction, ensuring Local Initiative 00-02 will not appear on the November ballot in Butte, Montana. The initiative, championed by the nonprofit 406 People First, sought to empower local voters with a special election process for all future data center development decisions within the Butte area.
The court's decision reverses an earlier injunction it had granted on Tuesday, which aimed to facilitate an appeal from 406 People First concerning a signature collection deadline dispute. The reversal was prompted by a notice from City-County of Butte-Silver Bow Clerk Cynthia Sherman, who informed the court that ballots without Local Initiative 00-02 had already been printed, mailed, and in some instances, returned by voters.
After consulting with the Office of the Secretary of State, Sherman highlighted concerns that altering ballots at this stage could violate Montana election laws. The Supreme Court acknowledged in its order that while it maintained the original reasoning for the injunction, it would not have issued the order if it had been aware of the ballots' distribution status. NonStop Local is awaiting a statement from 406 People First regarding this outcome.