Voters across the country will decide the fate of 150 ballot measures this fall.

The outcomes of those elections could have profound effects on people's everyday lives,

from abortion access to criminal justice to the way people vote.

One of the states deciding how future elections will work is Montana.

And that's where we start with this report from Stan Parker at Montana PBS.

This November, voters in Montana will be deciding on two ballot measures that would fundamentally change voting in the state if they pass.

Vote yes in November and we'll be able to vote person not just party.

Republican Frank Garner is a former state lawmaker and retired police chief. helping lead Montana's for election reform, the bipartisan group behind the initiatives.

If you wonder why we have polarization, where we have division, where we can't solve hard problems,

it has to do with the system we use to hire people for the

important job of governing. If the measures pass, the state would have

nonpartisan primaries and a majority winner requirement for future general

elections. Not everyone is on board including fellow Republicans like State

Party Chairman Don Kaltzmit. We have a great system right now.

If it isn't broke, don't fix it.

For more than 100 years, Montana has held separate primary contests for each party.

But under one of the proposed amendments, everyone running for office would go on the same primary

ballot, and then the top four vote winners in each race, no matter their party,

would go on to the general election.

Implementing a top four system likely wouldn't diminish Republican strength in Montana's elections,

but reformers say say would incentivize candidates

to appeal to all voters, not just traditional primary voters who skew more partisan.

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