Summary
Federal & state elections on the ballot: US House member, and State Senate and House members
Ballot measures:
The Montana Division of Election & Voter Services, part of the Secretary of State, oversees all Montana elections.
OnAir Post: Montana Votes in 2024
News
The Montana Democratic Party is suing to block new laws on voter registration and identification signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte this week.
The Montana Democratic Party is suing to block new laws on voter registration and identification signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte this week.
The Montana Democratic Party is attempting to block changes to voting rights laws signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte. The changes would create more stringent identification requirements for voters and end same-day voter registration in the state, which Montana voters approved on the 2004 ballot.
The suit was filed in District Court in Yellowstone County shortly after Gianforte’s bill signing Monday and requested that a judge immediately bar Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen from enforcing the new laws. In its complaint, the Democratic Party argues that same-day voter registration has been “critical to protecting the voting rights of tens of thousands of Montanans.” It specifically cites testimony from legislative proceedings earlier this year highlighting the geographic and transportation challenges faced by rural, elderly, disabled and Native American voters — challenges the party maintains have been alleviated for the past 16 years by voters’ ability to register, update their voter information and cast a ballot in a single trip.
About
Contact
Locations
Secretary of State
Montana Capitol Building, Rm 260
P.O. Box 202801
Helena, MT 59620-2801
Phone: 406-444-2034
Web Links
Registering to Vote
General Information
Who can register
To register in Montana you must:
- be a citizen of the United States
- be at least 18 years old on or before Election Day
- be a resident of Montana and of the county in which you want to vote for at least 30 days before the next election
- not be in a penal institution for a felony conviction
- not currently be determined by a court to be of unsound mind
- meet these qualifications by the next Election Day if you do not currently meet them
How to register
- Use our Register to Vote form below to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
Election Day registration
If you have missed the voter registration deadline, you can still register to vote at your county election office through close of polls on Election Day. You’ll have to register at the office of your Local Election Office — not at a polling place. Contact your Local Election Office for questions about the process or identification requirements.
Voting Rights restoration
If you have been convicted of a felony and have questions about whether you can register to vote, visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
Registration Status (form)
New Registration (form)
Voting
General Information
Voting as a Student
Learn more from Campus Vote Project about voting for students.
Overseas and Military Voting
You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.
If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Voting with Disabilities
If you have a physical disability or are unable to read or write, you may ask an election judge to help you mark your ballot for you. With the permission of the election judge, a friend or relative can go into the voting booth with you and help you vote.
Every polling place in Montana is required to have at least one specialized voting machine enabling people with disabilities to vote independently.If you would like to designate an agent to assist you with the voting process, contact your local elections office to ask for an application for the designation of an agent.
If you cannot enter your polling place, an election judge will assist you with curbside voting.
You may also apply for an electronic ballot that can be marked on your personal computer, printed and returned by mail or in person to the election office. Please check with your local elections office for more information.
For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource or your states resource.
Early Voting
Montana has early voting in the form of in-person absentee voting that allows voter, as soon as absentee ballots are available, to receive, mark and submit an absentee ballot in person at the election office or by mail to the election office. However, ballots are not counted until election day. Early-in person absentee voting does not require a reason and starts as soon as ballots are available – by not later than 30 days before an election. For more information about times and locations please contact your local election officials.
Vote by Mail (Absentee)
Absentee ballot rules
Any registered Montana voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
How to get Absentee ballot
- Use our Absentee Ballot form below to prepare your application.
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We’ll provide the mailing address for you.
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
- Make sure your application is received by the deadline. Your application must actually arrive by this time — simply being postmarked by the deadline is insufficient.
- Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
What to do next
- Use this Absentee Ballot Tool to prepare your application.
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We’ll provide the mailing address for you.
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
- Make sure your application is received by the deadline. Your application must actually arrive by this time — simply being postmarked by the deadline is insufficient.
- Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
Absentee ballot application deadline
By Mail: 1 day before before Election Day, but we recommend applying at least 7 days before Election Day.
Absentee ballot submission deadline
Election Day
Absentee Ballot (form)
Elections Alert (Form)
Pollling Information
Polling Place Locator
You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.
If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your county clerk.
Polling Place Hours
Poll hours of operation vary. Polling places open between 7:00 am and 12:00 pm and close at 8:00 pm. Contact your local elections official for exact times.
Poll Worker Information
In order to be a poll worker in Montana, you must:
- Be registered to vote in Montana
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Be a resident of the precinct
- Complete required training
To sign up, contact your local board of elections.
Division of Election & Voter Services,
Secretary of State
Montana’s Secretary of State Corey Stapleton is a veteran, business owner, former state senator, and fourth generation Montanan from Great Falls. Following his high school graduation, Stapleton enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He went on to graduate from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. After a fulfilling career as a Surface Warfare Officer, Corey and his wife Terry decided to return home and raise their four kids in Montana. Corey started Stapleton Financial Group and has been a successful financial advisor for over twenty years in Billings, Montana. He successfully campaigned and was elected Montana’s Secretary of State in 2016.
In addition to being the best run agency in state government, Secretary Stapleton’s mission is to help commerce thrive, promote democracy, and to record history for future generations.
