Voters in Montana who could change the state’s constitution — and the way the Treasure State votes — decided not to as results inched closer to being tallied across the snow-dusted state.

The two changes were proposed in tandem and would have altered how voters choose candidates. While one of the initiatives, Constitutional Initiative 126 appeared close at times on Election Day to passing, but by Wednesday morning both it and its companion initiative, Constitutional Initiative 127 appeared destined for defeat.

The Associated Press called both races late Wednesday morning with about 92% of votes counted. CI-126 failed to pass by a margin of about 20,000 votes, 48% to 52%. while votes against CI-127 garnered 61% of the vote, to 38% in favor of the measure.

CI-126 would change Montana’s primaries and have a ripple effect on the general election.

It would allow for the top four candidates in most races to advance to the general election, regardless of party. Though the system has been referred to as an “open primary,” it’s more accurately called a “jungle primary.” Currently in Montana, the primaries are open to all voters, but Montana residents must choose which party ballot to vote.

Supporters of CI-126 said that it would allow Montanans to select the best candidate, regardless of parties. Opponents said it just adds confusion and uncertainty to the process.

CI-126 had been rejected by voters with 278,195 voting against it, while 258,470 supported it.

“Today is a disappointing day as we see politicians and special interests once again succeed at stopping Montanans from gaining more power in our elections,” said Frank Garner, a board member for the group behind the measure, Montanans for Election reform. “We fought hard against the entrenched politicians and special interests who didn’t want to give voters more voice and better choices on the ballot because the current system benefits them, not voters. We still believe open primaries are a powerful tool to hold politicians accountable and put the power over our elections back in the hands of voters, but they aren’t the only path forward. We will continue to stand up for freedom and choice in our elections.”

CI-127, which is supported by the same backers as CI-126, had 61% of voters opposing it and just 39% in favor at press time. It would require that the top candidate in any race be elected with a majority (50% or more) rather than a plurality. If no candidate receives at least 50% of the vote, then the Legislature would determine how the winner is selected.

Currently, the Montana Legislature has outlawed ranked choice voting, so it would either have to change or repeal the law, or consider another means of selecting a candidate, including a “snap run off,” which would require another statewide election.

CI-127 never appeared to be ahead in the polls.

Even though the initiatives were supported by the same group, both do not need to pass to function in law.

For example, if CI-126 passes, it would simply mean that the top four vote-getters, regardless of political party, would advance to the general election. Likewise, if only CI-127 passes, then it would require that the winner of an election receive at least 50%, regardless of how many people are on the ballot.

Constitutional Initiative 126 and 127 were two of three initiatives that could change the Montana Constitution. The other, Constitutional Initiative 128, would enshrine the right to an abortion in the constitution even though the procedure has been legal for years, based on Supreme Court precedent.

Montana voters approved a ballot measure enshrining abortion in the state constitution, NBC News projects, delivering a victory to advocates for reproductive rights in a Western red state.

The amendment will not change current law on abortion in Montana: Abortion is legal in the state until fetal viability, around the 23rd or 24th week of pregnancy, backed up by a 1999 ruling by the state Supreme Court.

But advocates for the ballot measure wanted to guard against potential changes by the Legislature or state Supreme Court justices in the heavily Republican state.

The amendment establishes a right for people to “make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy,” including the right to abortion; prohibits the government from “denying or burdening” the right to abortion before fetal viability; and bars the government from “denying or burdening access” to abortion when a health care professional determines it is “medically indicated to protect the pregnant patient’s life or heath,” according to the ballot language.

The measure also prevents the government from “penalizing patients, healthcare providers, or anyone who assists in exercising their right to make and carry out voluntary decisions about their pregnancy.”

The ballot measure required a simple majority to pass. It withstood a series of legal challenges from Republicans in the solidly conservative state.

Nine other states considered constitutional amendments concerning abortion rights in this election: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York and South Dakota.

Polling places across Montana were busy Tuesday morning.

Montana voters stood in some long lines from Yellowstone County to Missoula County to register to vote, and they cruised through parking lots to drop off their ballots.

In Missoula, Shelby Richards stood in line with pup Rose, a service animal in training to help with her severe post traumatic stress disorder.

Richards, who has a 6-year-old daughter, said she believes the economy has been in decline.

“It’s time for some things to change and make it livable for families,” Richards said.

She said she wants to see former President Donald Trump and fellow Republican Tim Sheehy, running to oust Democrat incumbent Jon Tester in the U.S. Senate, take office.

Tester and Sheehy have been in an expensive and heated battle being watched nationally with control of the Senate in the balance.

That race and the presidential outcome aren’t likely to be known on Tuesday night, according to previous races Tester has run in Montana and elections experts watching national polling.

Outside the Elections Center in Missoula, Community Emergency Response Team workers directed voters driving through the parking lot.

CERT’s Dawn Couch said people had been kind and patient with each other, and a few were honking and yelling the names of their candidates.

She said the elections staff had been “amazing.”

“It’s been really, really well run,” Couch said.

In the parking lot, Logan Kostka looked for a pen to sign his name and turn in his ballot. Kostka said women’s reproductive rights were one factor in the 2024 election, but not the only one.

“As an LGBTQ+ member, a lot of the stuff coming from Project 2025 is literally against my belief system and my being as a human,” said Kostka, 20.

Project 2025 is a conservative playbook devised by the Heritage Foundation, other conservative groups, and more than 200 former staffers of Trump. It contains controversial policy ideas such as doing away with the federal Department of Education.

Greg Weller, also with CERT, said traffic Tuesday morning had come in waves. As he waited to direct voters, one rolled up with an open window.

“I have one to drop off,” the voter said.

At least one neighborhood polling place at an elementary school in Missoula didn’t have lines out the door.

Shelby Jessop walked down the sidewalk sporting an “I Voted” sticker on her coat. Jessop, whose little girl followed, said abortion is a top issue for her, and she stands with Sheehy.

“I think that we should all be a part of what decisions are made in our country,” Jessop said. “I wish more people would vote, honestly.”

In Lewis and Clark County, more than 100 people were in line to vote or update their registration around 11 a.m., while people simultaneously came in to drop their absentee ballots off.

A county election official told the Daily Montanan it had been “busy as hell” all morning and likely would be throughout the rest of the day.

Montana Secretary of State’s Office Elections Director Austin James was at the county elections office to check in and said things were similarly busy in many counties across Montana.

James said he’d gotten to work at 4 a.m. Tuesday and that a team was working at the office to ensure there were no cyberattacks or other malicious activity occurring within election offices, but he reported no issues so far. He said the office would not release a county’s results until everyone in line had voted to ensure none of their votes were influenced by early results.

Election workers at four polling sites the Daily Montanan visited around Helena in the late morning and early afternoon continued to see a steady stream of voters coming through. Several said they had lines to start the morning at 7 a.m., that the turnout was much higher than in the primary, and that they had been busy throughout the morning.

In Yellowstone County, polling places were filled on Tuesday morning. Election officials there said they hadn’t seen such a turnout from voters since at least the 2008 election.

Cascade County officials had to open up extra room to house long lines of voters waiting to register, the Montana Free Press reported. Voters in Gallatin County stood in line through a morning dose of snow, social media posts show. Nora Shelly of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that some of those voters in Gallatin County had been standing in line for four hours in the snow. Officials there said they don’t anticipate having the first results in until at least 11 p.m.

By 1:30 p.m., nearly 81% of Montana’s 549,080 absentee voters had returned their ballots — meaning turnout was about 55.6% of voters at the time.

In Kalispell, voters in 27 precincts visited the Flathead County Fairgrounds to cast their ballots. Outside, supporters of U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke, who is running for re-election to represent Montana’s 1st Congressional District, waved signs, blasted music and stayed warm under heat lamps.

For a time, Zinke himself was out on the sidewalk waving at the cars lined up to enter the fairgrounds. Zinke will be spending election night in Whitefish.