Local ballot initiative blocked after signatures deemed too blurry

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:00:56 +0000

The grassroots effort to regulate the proposed Quantum Data Haven in our valley has hit a procedural snag. Last Tuesday, the county commission office returned 4,500 signatures to the organizers of “Keep the Clouds on the Ground,” citing concerns regarding the structural integrity of the ink and the alignment of the handwriting.

“We aren’t saying the signatures are fake,” explained County Registrar Barnaby Finch while organizing a stack of artisanal ledger paper. “We are simply noting that several thousand of these signatures were written with pens that appeared to have been purchased at a big-box store in Four Corners, rather than at the independently owned stationer on Main Street. It raises questions about the voter’s commitment to the local economy.”

Democracy on The Bozeman Daily Bee

Local ballot initiative blocked after signatures deemed too blurry