---
type: "Bill"
title: "Eliminate absentee requirement to return unvoted party ballot"
description: "Eliminate absentee requirement to return unvoted party ballot"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2019"
identifier: "SB 101"
citation: "Montana SB 101 (2019)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections (see also: Ballot Issues)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Keith Regier"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 43
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2018-10-24"
last_action: "2019-04-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c1ed5aec-a725-4321-aa5d-fd57074469f1"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=101&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20191"
source_hash: "44b86972cbd3cc55bd5015e8ccde6f110643dcda55b84e2b909edfc3f194d1e5"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-mt"]
---

# Montana SB 101 (2019) — Eliminate absentee requirement to return unvoted party ballot

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **SB0101_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/SB0199//SB0101_1.pdf)
2. **SB0101_x.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/SB0199//SB0101_x.pdf)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/billpdf/SB0101.pdf)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **93–4** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- BE CONCURRED IN — **20–0** (pass) · lower
- DO PASS — **8–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **98–2** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **50–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Keith Regier — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-10-24** Draft Request Received
- **2018-12-26** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2019-01-03** Draft in Legal Review
- **2019-01-04** Draft in Edit
- **2019-01-04** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review [SMH]
- **2019-01-04** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2019-01-04** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2019-01-04** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2019-01-04** Executive Director Review
- **2019-01-05** Draft in Assembly
- **2019-01-07** Executive Director Final Review
- **2019-01-07** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2019-01-10** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2019-01-11** Introduced `introduction`
- **2019-01-12** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2019-01-14** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-01-14** Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-01-21** Hearing
- **2019-01-23** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2019-01-24** Committee Report--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2019-01-29** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2019-01-29** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2019-01-30** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2019-01-30** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-01-30** Transmitted to House
- **2019-02-01** Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-01** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-03-14** Hearing
- **2019-03-28** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred
- **2019-03-28** Committee Report--Bill Concurred
- **2019-04-01** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2019-04-01** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2019-04-02** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2019-04-02** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-04-02** Returned to Senate
- **2019-04-02** Sent to Enrolling
- **2019-04-03** Returned from Enrolling
- **2019-04-03** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2019-04-05** Signed by President
- **2019-04-09** Signed by Speaker
- **2019-04-09** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2019-04-17** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2019-04-17** Chapter Number Assigned

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c1ed5aec-a725-4321-aa5d-fd57074469f1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).