Secretary Jacobsen and Montana Legislators Emphasize Voting Rights for U.S. Citizens Only

HELENA, Mont. — On Thursday, Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen was joined by members of the 69th Montana Legislature including election integrity advocate Senator Theresa Manzella to emphasize the significance of ensuring that only U.S. citizens participate in Montana elections. The group discussed a bipartisan constitutional policy on this matter.

“Across the country, officials are misinterpreting the language that ‘any citizen can vote’ to mean something different than only citizens can vote,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “Both red states and blue states, from Alabama to Colorado, explicitly distinguish that only U.S. citizens can vote. Montanans on every side of the aisle strongly agree and believe that only U.S. citizens should vote in our state’s elections.”

Last Friday, Senate Bill 185, a constitutional amendment regarding qualified electors requiring that only a U.S. citizen can vote, was heard in the Senate State Administration Committee. Montanans can provide feedback to the committee by visiting the Montana Legislature’s public participation portal website.

If SB 185 passes, the question will be brought to voters during the November 2026 General Election.

SB 185 was introduced by Theresa Manzella with support from 15 state senators including Caleb Hinkle, Matt Regier, Jerry Schillinger, Paul Fielder, Jedediah Hinkle, and Bob Phalen.