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Voting & Elections Toolkits

Voting and advocacy resources by librarians for librarians

Voter Registration in Montana

Eligibility

To vote in Montana: 

  • Be registered as required by law.
  • Be 18 years old or older on or before the next election.
  • Be a citizen of the United States.
  • Have lived in Montana for at least 30 days.

Even if you meet the above eligibility qualifications, you cannot vote if:

Deadline

Key Election Dates. Source AARP

Sign up for alerts about key election dates and deadlines

Voter Registration
 

Register or check your registration here:  MY VOTER PAGE

  • Download a registration form
    • Print, complete and return to your county election office at least 30 days before election day
  • OR: Late register after the 30-day regular registration deadline at your county election office or the designated location up to and including on election day, except for from noon until 5:00 p.m. the day before election day.

 

Motor Voter Page

Updating or Cancelling Registration

Use the “My Voter Page”  to update or check your voter status.

ID Requirements for Montana Voters

ID Requirements for Registration

Information about registering to vote

  • Visit My Voter Page to find out if you are registered to vote, where you are registered to vote, the location and directions to your polling place, the status of your absentee ballot, and to view a sample ballot.
  • Late registration is an option for people who miss the regular registration deadline. It is available starting the day after the close of regular registration, up until the close of polls on election day, and must be done at the county election office (or at the location designated by the election administrator), not at a polling place.
  • Late registration is closed from noon to 5 p.m. on the day before the election. Although you can drop off a registration card during this time, you will not receive your ballot unless you return to the election office on Election Day.
  • If you wish to avoid the possibility of long lines, register by the close of regular registration or as soon as possible after the start of the late registration period.

Montana voter FAQ

ID Requirements for Voting

When voting at the polls, a current photo ID showing the elector’s name; or a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, voter registration confirmation, government check or other government document showing the elector’s current name and current address must be presented.

If you do not have any of the items listed above, you can still vote by requesting and filling out a “Polling Place Elector ID” form.

Or, you can vote a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will be counted if you provide one of the items on the list to the county election office by 5:00 p.m. the day after the election, or mail it to the county election office postmarked by the day after the election.

 

Where to get an ID

Department of Motor Vehicles:

Obtaining a Driver’s License

•Montana Motor Vehicle Division (Dept of Justice) Driver’s licenses & ID Cards

•Montana Motor Vehicle Division Online Resources

 

 

Casting a Ballot in Montana

Important Dates

Source: AARP. - 2022 Election November

 

All registered Montana voters can request an absentee ballot, and you can opt to automatically receive absentee ballots by mail in the future.

Source: AARP
You can request an absentee ballot by mail, by phone or in person:

Applications must be received by county election officials by noon on Monday, Nov. 7. If you drop off your application, you should be able to pick up your absentee ballot at the same time.

Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters starting on Friday, Oct. 14.

Completed absentee ballots must be received by your local election administrator’s office or polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8. Instructions for returning them will be included with the ballots when they are distributed.

Polling places and hours

•Use My Voter to locate polling information

Rides to the polls

If you cannot get to the polls try:

  • You can vote by mail.
  • You can catch a ride with a friend or neighbor.
  • Call your local election office to find out who is providing transportation in your community. Locate your office using My Voter.

Check Carpool Vote to see if they have a ride sharing opportunity in your area.

 

Help for voters with disabilities

Election and Voting services for voters with disabilities.

Montana’s Statewide Elections have various options for voters with disabilities or voters who need special assistance, including the new Electronic Ballot Request System (EBRS), available for state and federal elections beginning 30 days before election day and through noon the day before election day.

  • EBRS – Overview
  • EBRS – Voter FAQs
  • Braille Voter Information Pamphlet is available upon request.  Please contact the Secretary of State’s Office at 406-444-9608 or email soselections@mt.gov
  • Every polling place in Montana has at least one specialized voting machine, called an AutoMARK, that enables people with disabilities to vote independently and privately.
  • If you cannot enter a polling place, election judges will assist you with “curbside voting.”
  • 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. Or, you can bring any individual (other than your employer or employer’s agent or union agent) who, with the permission of the election judge, can go into the voting booth with you and help you vote.
  • You may also designate an agent to assist you with the voting process on the Designation of Agent by Individual with Disability form. Deliver the signed application to your local election office.
  • You may 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.
  • The Voter Information Pamphlet published by the Secretary of State for each state general election is available in Braille and audio formats.
  • Accessible Forms

Contact soselections@mt.gov if you have a voting accessibility suggestion or concern.

 

 

Ballots

Use the MY VOTER  page to see a sample ballot.

 

Source: MTFP : Montana Election guide 2022

 

Elections

Primaries vs. general elections

  • In Montana, a voter does not need to vote in a primary election in order to vote in a general election.
  • There is no party registration in Montana. Individuals who vote in a primary election are given all the parties’ ballots, and can choose in private which party ballot they wish to vote. Voters in a primary election cannot vote more than one party’s ballots.

MTFP 2022 Election guide

ISSUES QUALIFIED FOR THE 2022 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT

 

ISSUES ON THE 2022 BALLOT

SOURCE: AARP

Who conducts elections?

The Elections Division of the Montana Secretary of State's Office oversees elections.

 

 

Every Montanan has a right to an elections process that is open, honest, fair, and accurate.

Montanans expect that any eligible citizen in the state who wants to vote should be able to vote.  They also expect that the signature gathering process for initiatives and referendums be conducted in accordance with Montana law.

Citizens and voters play a critical role in maintaining a fair election process for all Montanans.

If you witness any suspicious activity that affects elections or ballot issue signature gathering anywhere in Montana, please report it directly to our office as soon as possible by clicking the button to the right and filling out the associated form.

Montana Fair Elections Center

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

Commissioner of Political Practices

For questions contact: https://sosmt.gov/elections/contact/

 

Campaign finance

Montana Electronic Reporting System Dashboard 

Montana Commissioner of Political Practices works to Promote confidence, transparency, and accountability in Montana's democratic processes. They offer online services to help you with complaints, ethics concerns and campaign financing.

How to contact your elected officials:

Montana.gov lists the statewide elected officials, State Agency contact information, the State Constitution, and more.

The Montana State Legislature site lists State Legislators and their contact information.

Montana State Legislature offers a "lookup" site also.

While the Montana Association of Counties no longer provides on-line contact information, check their site for other ways to locate County officials.

General Resources on Voting and Elections

General Resources on Voting and Elections

Election Protection Hotlines

1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) (en Español)

1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) (Asian multilingual assistance)

1-844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) (Arabic)

Voter Registration & Election Day Resources

Find useful voter information including:

  • Local Election Office and Contact Information
  • Address, Telephone and Email for Local Election Offices
  • Upcoming Federal Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Upcoming State Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Identification Requirements
  • Voter Materials Transmission Options
  • State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered? Where’s my Ballot?

Population-Specific information and Resources

Voting Rights: Laws, Cases, Policy

Voter Engagement

Voter Education

Campaign Finance/Funding Information

Primary Sources, Lesson Plans & Exhibits

Disclaimer

Librarians from the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), a Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), created these reference guides. These guides are intended for informational purposes only and are not in any way intended to be legal advice.

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These guides are designated with a Creative Commons license and re-use and modification for educational purposes is encouraged.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.