13-36-203. Form of complaint. (1) A petition or complaint filed under the provisions of this chapter is sufficient if it is in substantially the following form:

In the District Court of the

.... Judicial District,

for the County of ...., State of Montana.

A B (or A B and C D), Contestants,

vs.

E F, Contestee.

The petition of the contestant (or contestants) named above alleges:

That an election was held (in the state, district, county, or city of ....), on the .... day of ...., 20..., for the (nomination of a candidate for) (or election of a) (state the office).

That .... and .... were candidates at the election and the board of canvassers has returned .... as being nominated (or elected) at the election.

That contestant A B voted (or had a right to vote, as the case may be) at the election (or claims to have had a right to be returned as the nominee or officer elected or nominated at the election or was a candidate at the election, as the case may be) and that contestant C D (here state in a similar manner the right of each contestant).

The contestant (or contestants) further allege (here state the facts and grounds on which the contestants rely).

The contestants ask that it be determined by the court that .... was not nominated (or elected) and that the election was void or that A B or C D, as the case may be, was nominated (or elected) and ask for other relief that the court may find appropriate.

(2) The complaint must be verified by the affidavit of one of the petitioners in the manner required by law for the verification of complaints in civil cases.

History: En. Sec. 53, Init. Act, Nov. 1912; re-en. Sec. 10818, R.C.M. 1921; re-en. Sec. 10818, R.C.M. 1935; Sec. 94-1472, R.C.M. 1947; redes. 23-4771 by Sec. 29, Ch. 513, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 23-4771; amd. Sec. 23, Ch. 51, L. 1999.