13-10-327. Vacancy after primary and prior to general election. - Montana Statutes

     13-10-327. Vacancy after primary and prior to general election. (1) Except as provided in 13-10-328 for a vacancy in the candidacy of either governor or lieutenant governor caused by the death of a candidate, if a party candidate dies or withdraws after the primary and before the general election, the affected political party shall appoint someone to replace the candidate in one of the following ways:
     (a) For offices to be filled by the state at large, the state central committee shall make the appointment as provided by the rules of the party.
     (b) For offices to be filled in districts including more than one county, a committee appointed by the county central committees of all counties in the district shall make the appointment. Procedures for the appointment of the committee and making the appointment must be provided in party rules.
     (c) For offices to be filled in counties, municipalities, or districts wholly within a county, the appointment must be made under rules adopted by the county central committee.
     (2) Except as provided in this section, appointments to fill vacancies must be made no later than 76 days before the election. A candidate may not officially withdraw 85 days or less before a general election. However, if a candidate for partisan office dies less than 85 days before the general election, the affected political party shall appoint a candidate within 5 days after being notified of the vacancy. One of the procedures provided in 13-12-204 must be used to place the name of the appointee on the ballot if necessary.
     (3) The appointing committee shall send a certificate to the officer with whom a declaration for nomination for the office would be filed, with the information required on a declaration for nomination and the name of the candidate for whom the appointee is to be substituted. The appointee shall send a signed and acknowledged acceptance of the appointment and the filing fee for the office.
     (4) The officer receiving the certificate of appointment, accompanied by a statement of acceptance and the filing fee, shall certify the name of the appointee for the ballot.

     History: En. Sec. 82, Ch. 368, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 254, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 28, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 23-3321(3); amd. Sec. 77, Ch. 571, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 29, Ch. 250, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 229, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 85, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 537, L. 2001.