[9] The Republican Party was also accused of violating campaign finance laws by failing to disclose the funding of the petition drive.
[10] Some commentators speculated that the presence of the Green Party on the ballot had the potential to hinder Democratic candidates, particularly in the elections for Senate and the at-large House seat, both of which were expected to be competitive races.
[9] The communications manager of the national Green Party alleged that some of the voters asking to withdraw their signatures had been subjected to pressure to do so.
[9][14] In response to Stapleton’s refusal to invalidate the signatures by voters who had changed their minds, four of the petition signers and the Democratic Party of Montana jointly filed a suit in court.
James Reynolds, a US District Judge, ruled that no deadline like the one which Stapleton cited existed, and that with those signatures voided, the Party no longer qualified for the ballot.
[9][10] The Court, in addition to Reynolds’s reasoning, noted that the general election ballot had to be certified by August 20.
Justice Elena Kagan declined on the court’s behalf; she issued the decision without a comment or dissent.
[17] The bill did not mention the Green Party specifically, but it was widely understood that its drafting and consideration was in response to the previous year's episode and the similar issue in 2018.
[17][18] The Montana House passed the bill in a party-line vote, with all Republicans supporting it and all Democrats opposing it.