Voting Information

• Military and Overseas Voters
• Who Can Vote
• How to Register
• How to Vote
• How to Vote by Absentee Ballot
• Where Do I Register to Vote?
• If You Are an Individual With a Disability
• Types of Ballots

One of the most important rights we enjoy as citizens of our state and nation is the right to vote for the people who make and uphold our laws. This right is the foundation upon which our democratic form of government is based. Many people in the world do not share this right. It's a civic duty we should all feel privileged to perform.

Year after year, Montanans have demonstrated their strong sense of community and their commitment to democracy by having one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation.

Who Can Vote

To vote in Montana, you must:

• 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 and in the county in which you intend to vote for at least 30 days.

You cannot vote if:

• You're a convicted felon serving a sentence in a penal institution.
  
  
• You've been judged in a court of law to be of unsound mind.

How to Register to Vote

Registering to vote in Montana is quick and painless. You can:

• Visit your local election office on weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and complete a registration form.
  
  
• Fill out a registration form and mail it to the local election office. Registration forms are readily available from local election offices, a number of civic organizations, and government agencies. There is a registration form available in your phone book, or you may use the registration form provided on this Web site. Mail it or drop it off at your local election office.
  
  
• Fill out a registration form when you apply for or renew your driver's license.
  
  
• Late registration is available at any time right up through the close of polls on election day, except between 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM on the day before the election. However, registering early is beneficial to you and to your community. If you're not registered to vote, register as soon as possible!

You may vote only in the precinct in which your residence is located. If you're a student living at school, you can choose whether to register at home or school, but you can't register or vote in both places.

When you fill out your registration form, do not list a post office box as your residence. If you don't have a street address, describe the location of your residence. Use cross streets, for example, or list the section, township, and range.

Once you've registered, you'll get a voter confirmation notice from your local election office verifying your registration and telling you which precinct you vote in.

Registration is generally permanent unless you do not vote in a federal general election and do not respond to confirmation mailings.  If you don't vote in a federal general election and do not respond to mailings, your name will be placed on an inactive voter list.  If you fail to vote in two federal general elections after the mailings are sent, your name will be removed from the voter rolls.

You do need to register again if you change your address or your name.

How to Vote

Just as important as voting is being an informed voter. So, before Election Day, take time to learn about the candidates and issues.

There are many opportunities to do so. For months before Election Day, the media will be filled with stories about the election and with advertisements for the candidates. Your mailbox will be filled with brochures and flyers outlining the candidates' views. Some candidates will hold debates, which you can attend in person or watch on TV, and some local candidates may even come to your door to introduce themselves. 

A few weeks before every statewide general election, you will receive an official Voter Information Pamphlet, published by the Secretary of State. This will provide balanced information about the initiatives and referenda that will be on the ballot.

Once you've decided how you want to vote, you may want to write down your choices and take this list to the polls with you on Election Day.

Your voter registration card lists the location of your neighborhood polling place. If you've misplaced your card, call your local election administrator to find out where to vote. Or watch the newspaper in the days leading up to the election for a list and/or map of polling places.

If you're unable to drive to the polls yourself, you have several options:

• You can vote by absentee ballot.
  
  
• You can catch a ride with a friend or neighbor.
  
  
• You can get a ride from one of numerous organizations and agencies that offer voter transportation. Call your local election office to find out who is providing transportation in your community.

When you enter your polling place, an election judge will greet you, ask your name, and confirm that you are registered to vote in that precinct. He or she will also ask you to show identification. This can be any current photo ID that shows your name (for example, a valid driver's license, school ID, state ID, or tribal ID) or a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, voter confirmation notice, government check or other government document that shows your name and current address.

Next, the election judge will ask you to sign next to your name in the precinct register. A second election judge will give you your ballot and explain how to mark it and what to do with it once you've finished voting.

Then you'll enter a private voting booth to mark your ballot. There's no need to hurry. Take time to think about your choices, and be sure to follow the directions for marking your ballot. If you forget the instructions given to you by the election judge, you'll find them posted in the voting booth or printed in the materials given to you with your ballot.

If you feel uncertain about how to vote, you can visit your county election office any time before the election and get a lesson.

You are not required to vote in every race or on every issue listed on the ballot. On the other hand, if you vote more than once in a race where only one choice is allowable, your vote in that race will not be counted. Be sure you turn your ballot over and check to see whether any races are printed on the back.

If you damage a ballot or want to change the way you've voted, take the spoiled ballot to an election judge and exchange it for a new one. Don't try to erase; with machine-counted ballots especially, erasures may result in your ballot being disqualified.

When you've finished marking your ballot, fold it or place it in the secrecy folder given to you with the ballot so that your choices are concealed. Then hand your ballot to the appropriate election judge.

How to Vote by Absentee Ballot

Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot, even if he or she is able to vote in person on Election Day.

To vote absentee, you must first apply for an absentee ballot. Applications are available during a period beginning 75 days before Election Day and ending at noon on the day before the election. You may pick up an application at your local election office or at the Secretary of State’s Office, or you may call either office and ask to have an application mailed to you. You can also download a free application from this Web site.  Mail it or drop it off at your local election office.

Once you’ve submitted your application, your absentee ballot will be mailed to you, unless you indicate on the application that you would prefer to have someone pick it up for you. Once you’ve marked your ballot, return it to your local election office before the polls close on Election Day in the secrecy envelope that is provided.

The fastest way to vote absentee is to go directly to your local election office, usually in the county courthouse, where you can apply for a ballot and vote all at the same time up to and including on election day.

For more information about voting, call your local election office or call the Secretary of State’s toll-free voter hotline: 1-888-884-VOTE (8683).

Where do I register to vote?

Registering to vote in Montana is quick and painless. You can:

Visit your local election office on weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and complete a registration form.

Fill out a registration form and mail it to the local election office.For regular registration, it must be postmarked at least 30 days before the election.  For late registration, you must show up at the local election office up to and including on election day, fill out a voter registration card, and vote a ballot that you give to the election office staff. Registration forms are readily available from local election offices, post offices, libraries, and many organizations and businesses. There is a registration form available in your phone book, and some fast-food restaurants have even printed the forms on their placemats! You may also use the registration form provided on this web site.  Mail it or drop it off at your local election office.

Fill out a registration form when you apply for or renew your driver's license.

You may vote only in the precinct in which your residence is located. If you're a student living at school, you can choose whether to register at home or school, but you can't register or vote in both places. When you fill out your registration form, do not list a post office box as your residence. If you don't have a street address, describe the location of your residence. Use cross streets, for example, or list the section, township, and range.

If you mail in your registration form, you'll get a notice from your local election office verifying your registration and telling you which precinct you vote in.

Types of Ballots

Beginning in 2004, only two types of ballot were used in Montana. Depending on where you live, you may vote on one of the following:

A paper ballot. Using the pencil or pen provided, you'll indicate your choices by marking the box next to the names of the candidates you want to vote for. Paper ballots are counted by hand.

An optical-scan ballot. Using the pen or pencil provided, you'll indicate your choices either by coloring in a small oval or by drawing a solid line to connect two ends of an arrow. Optical scan ballots are counted by machine.

For more information on the type of ballot used in your county, see the page on Voting Technologies.