Montana petition organizers challenge conflicting deadline guidance in Yellowstone County data-center fight

Organizers of a Yellowstone County initiative concerning data-center development say they operated for months under the wrong signature-gathering deadline after the county attorney identified a conflict between Montana statutes.

The dispute, publicly discussed in reports dated Aug. 5-6, 2026, has led organizers to seek guidance from Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen. The decision could affect whether the local measure qualifies for a ballot, but no final determination was available in the approved materials.

The petition dispute therefore has two separate dimensions. The first is practical and local: whether Yellowstone County voters will have the opportunity to decide a measure involving data centers. The second involves election administration: how Montana’s newer data-center rules and citizen-petition requirements are applied when statutes appear to set conflicting deadlines.