Update: 5:55 a.m. Nov 9- 

Despite personal assurance from the Secretary of State herself that the ballots from Yellowstone County would be finished by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday Nov. 7, 7% of Montana's ballots have still not been accounted for. All but a few hundred of the unaccounted votes will effect the initiatives.

Still, it is easy to declare that Referendum 122 will pass with the 67% of the vote that it currently holds. So far, 297,801 votes have been cast in favor of the measure, while only 145,147 votes have been cast against it.

7:10 a.m. -

With 524 precincts fully reporting and partial reports from the rest, Montana is well on the way to prohibiting mandated health insurance. There are currently 262,805 votes in favor of referendum 122 and 130,844 votes against.

 

10:50 p.m. - with 38 out of 794 precincts reporting, Referendum 122 has 62% of votes in support and 37% against.

Simply put, legislative referendum 122 would prevent the State of Montana or the U.S. Federal government from requiring citizens of Montana to purchase healthcare or impose any penalties if citizens fail to do so.

The full text of the referendum as it appears on Montana ballots appears below.

AN ACT REFERRED BY THE LEGISLATURE AN ACT PROHIBITING THE STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM MANDATING THE PURCHASE OF HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE OR IMPOSING PENALTIES FOR DECISIONS RELATED TO THE PURCHASE OF HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE; PROVIDING THAT THE PROPOSED ACT BE SUBMITTED TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF MONTANA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
LR-122 prohibits the state and federal governments from requiring the purchase of health insurance or imposing any penalty, tax, fee or fine on those who do not purchase health insurance. The prohibition does not apply to: (1) a court which orders the purchase of insurance when an individual or entity is a named party in a judicial dispute; (2) the state department of public health and human services as part of a child support enforcement action; or (3) the Montana university system

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