13-36-211. When nomination or election not to be vacated. The ground of contest specified in 13-36-101(3) may not be construed to authorize a nomination or election to be set aside on account of illegal votes unless it appears:

Terms Used In Montana Code 13-36-211

  • Candidate: means :

    (a)an individual who has filed a declaration or petition for nomination, acceptance of nomination, or appointment as a candidate for public office as required by law;

    (b)for the purposes of chapter 35, 36, or 37, an individual who has solicited or received and retained contributions, made expenditures, or given consent to an individual, organization, political party, or committee to solicit or receive and retain contributions or make expenditures on the individual's behalf to secure nomination or election to any office at any time, whether or not the office for which the individual will seek nomination or election is known when the:

    (i)solicitation is made;

    (ii)contribution is received and retained; or

    (iii)expenditure is made; or

    (c)an officeholder who is the subject of a recall election. See Montana Code 13-1-101

  • Election: means a general, special, or primary election held pursuant to the requirements of state law, regardless of the time or purpose. See Montana Code 13-1-101
  • Person: means an individual, corporation, association, firm, partnership, cooperative, committee, including a political committee, club, union, or other organization or group of individuals or a candidate as defined in subsection (8). See Montana Code 13-1-101

(1)that the candidate or nominee whose right is contested had knowledge of or connived in the illegal votes; or

(2)that the number of illegal votes given to the person whose right to the nomination or office is contested, if taken from the person, would reduce the number of legal votes for the person below the number of votes given to some other person for the same nomination or office, after deducting the illegal votes that may be shown to have been given to the other person.