---
type: "Bill"
title: "Revise laws related to write-in candidates"
description: "Revise laws related to write-in candidates"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2023"
identifier: "HB 536"
citation: "Montana HB 536 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections (see also: Ballot Issues)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Julie Dooling"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 44
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2022-12-08T19:01:55+00:00"
last_action: "2023-04-20T23:17:47+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/fd36c6cf-ab6a-4de3-b577-7fc3180a3514"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/bill/20231/LC3399"
source_hash: "0a7b98ae56ae4316d17c3fd5a242647ab02afeccd1deb78b3ed75a7bac4d60eb"
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 HB 536 (2023) — Revise laws related to write-in candidates

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0536_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8565)
2. **HB0536_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8566)

## Votes

- (H) 3rd Reading Passed — **96–3** (pass) · lower
- (H) 2nd Reading Passed — **98–2** (pass) · lower
- (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed — **18–0** (pass) · lower
- (S) 3rd Reading Concurred — **47–1** (pass) · upper
- (S) 2nd Reading Concurred — **45–5** (pass) · upper
- (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred — **10–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Julie Dooling — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-04-20T23:17:47+00:00** Chapter Number Assigned `became-law`
- **2023-04-20T16:30:00+00:00** (H) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-04-13T16:45:00+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2023-04-12T18:00:00+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2023-04-07T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2023-04-06T20:33:54+00:00** (C) Printed - Enrolled Version Available `enrolled`
- **2023-04-06T20:32:44+00:00** (H) Returned from Enrolling
- **2023-04-01T00:50:51+00:00** (H) Sent to Enrolling
- **2023-03-31T21:52:54+00:00** (S) Returned to House
- **2023-03-30T20:45:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-30T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-03-29T19:48:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-03-29T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-03-27T19:20:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred
- **2023-03-24T21:00:01+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred
- **2023-03-24T21:00:00+00:00** (S) Hearing
- **2023-03-15T14:57:00+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-02T16:43:00+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-03-02T03:00:00+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Senate
- **2023-03-02T02:14:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-01T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-02-28T23:03:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-02-28T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-02-24T20:54:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-23T15:00:00+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-22T16:00:10+00:00** (H) Hearing
- **2023-02-16T20:31:22+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-02-16T17:37:35+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-14T20:48:21+00:00** (C) Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2023-02-14T20:30:06+00:00** (H) Introduced
- **2023-02-14T14:45:54+00:00** (C) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2023-02-13T18:19:31+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-02-13T16:09:10+00:00** (C) Executive Director Final Review
- **2023-02-13T16:09:06+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-02-13T12:32:41+00:00** (C) Draft in Assembly
- **2023-02-12T22:40:08+00:00** (C) Executive Director Review
- **2023-02-12T22:10:43+00:00** (C) Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2023-02-12T22:10:42+00:00** (C) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2023-02-12T20:45:50+00:00** (C) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2023-02-12T20:01:18+00:00** (C) Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2023-02-10T18:17:05+00:00** (C) Draft in Edit
- **2023-02-08T20:12:13+00:00** (C) Draft in Legal Review
- **2023-01-27T20:19:58+00:00** (C) Draft to Requester for Review
- **2022-12-08T19:01:55+00:00** (C) Draft Request Received `receipt`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/fd36c6cf-ab6a-4de3-b577-7fc3180a3514`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).