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05/29/2026
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
Election officials expect to reject hundreds of ballots
Seated at a line of tables in the Missoula County Elections Center Thursday, about a dozen election judges prepared ballots for counting next week.
Within about 10 minutes, the judges identified a handful of envelopes containing more than one ballot. Ahead of Tuesday’s primary election, Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman said this is what he wants voters to remember: Return only one ballot.
“So many are rejected for multiple ballots, well over 500, and that hurts because these are people who tried to vote,” Seaman told Montana Free Press.
As part of Montana’s open primary system, voters receive ballots for each party running a primary election. This year, voters received Democratic, Libertarian and Republican ballots. Voters must use only one ballot and should destroy unused ballots, according to the elections office.
Unlike voters who turn in ballots without a birth year or signature on the envelope, those who sent in multiple voted ballots won’t get contacted by the election’s office because workers won’t know which ballot belongs to which voter as part of the secrecy process, Seaman said. He encouraged voters to read the instructions sent with ballots before voting.
As of noon Thursday, elections staff had rejected 303 ballots for issues voters could fix. About 54% of those were rejected because the envelope was missing a birth year. Staff had resolved almost half of the rejected ballots. Elections staff will contact voters with rejected ballots by phone, email and by letter. Those ballots can be fixed up until 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 3.
For the primary election, the Missoula elections office sent out about 65,000 ballots to registered absentee voters and has received more than 17,500, or 28.6%, back as of Thursday. Seaman said most ballots are returned by mail, but he expects about 2,000 from residents voting in person at polling places Tuesday.
With less than a week until the primary, Missoula Election officials encourage voters to drop off their ballots rather than mail them. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Leading up to June 2, voters can drop off their ballots any time in the secure after-hours drop box at the Elections Center, 140 N. Russell St., in Missoula.
On Tuesday, voters can drop off their ballots at drive-thru locations at McCormick Park, 600 Cregg Lane; Hellgate Elementary baseball fields, 2835 Flynn Lane; or at South Russell Street between the fairgrounds and the YMCA. Voters can also drop off ballots at any polling place or vote in person there. A list of polling places is available on the county elections website. Voters can find their polling location and check the status of their ballot at myvoterpagemt.com.
Voters can receive a replacement ballot or pick up an undeliverable ballot at the Elections Center. If residents still need to register to vote, change their address or make most other updates to their registration, they must do so in person at the Elections Center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon Monday or 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Seaman said the Elections Center will be busiest on Tuesday, and he encouraged residents who need to register to vote to take advantage of extended hours before then. Voters will find shorter lines at drop-off locations and polling places, he said.
For voters who haven’t yet cast their ballots, “there’s still time,” Seaman said.
Along with the races for Montana’s two congressional seats and a U.S. Senate seat, ballots may include state House and Senate and Public Service Commission seats.
While multiple Missoula County officials are up for election this year, most do not have challengers in the primary or general elections. Unchallenged incumbents, all Democrats, include Missoula County Commissioner Juanita Vero, Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen, Clerk and Recorder/Treasurer Tyler Gernant, County Attorney Matt Jennings, Auditor Lester Bracey and Superintendent of Schools Erin Lipkind.
Nonpartisan Justices of the Peace Alex Beal and Landee Holloway and Missoula District Court Judge Shane Vannatta are also up for reelection. Holloway is the only one with a challenger, Kelli Sather, a state public defender.
Of the 10 Montana House seats in the Missoula area up for election, three have competitive primaries to replace termed-out lawmakers.
Democrats Monica Tranel and Reggie Spaulding are running to replace Connie Keogh in representing House District 92, which covers East Missoula, Bonner and the Clearwater area.
Three Democrats — Nick Kujawa, Sam Kulla and Ben Davis — are running for House District 93, representing southeast Missoula and Clinton. The seat was previously held by outgoing minority leader Katie Sullivan. The winner will face Republican Roy Handley in November.
In the race to replace Marilyn Marler to represent House District 94, which covers south Missoula, the Democratic primary between Robin Kendall and Lisa Verlanic Fowler will determine who will face Republican Greg Woodward in the general.
More information about these candidates and other legislative, state and federal races is available in the Montana Free Press Election Guide.
By the Numbers
The temperature difference between two locations in Missoula County on Aug. 12, 2025, when volunteers collected data as part of a one-day Heat Watch campaign. The campaign is part of Missoula County, the city and Climate Smart Missoula’s “Stay Cool Missoula” effort to develop strategies for protecting the community from extreme heat.
On Aug. 12, 2025, more than 30 volunteers traveled 12 preset routes in the morning, afternoon and evening and collected air temperature and humidity data, Alli Kane, Missoula County’s climate action program coordinator, told the county commissioners Tuesday. CAPA Strategies used the data to create area-wide models showing the temperature differences in Missoula, Lolo and Seeley Lake throughout the day, she said.
The maximum temperature measured that day was 95.7 degrees. The largest temperature difference occurred in the morning, when temperatures ranged from 45.8 to 63.4 degrees. Urban areas held on to heat from the previous day, as did the most densely wooded areas, Kane said. The coolest area was Seeley Lake.
The afternoon had the smallest temperature difference, but high-traffic urban areas, commercial and industrial areas and dry open areas were hot spots that heated up surrounding neighborhoods, Kane said. In the evening, some forested areas, as well as the University District, cooled off more quickly than urban areas, Kane said.
The county, city, Climate Smart and other partners will use the data to identify heat islands and inform policies, research and interventions, Kane said. The group will also share information with communities to improve residents’ health and reduce heat islands in neighborhoods, she said.
More information about Stay Cool Missoula and an interactive heat map is available online.
Public Notice
Missoula County is holding several workshops in June on an upcoming update of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The plan is a guide to understanding wildfire risks and outlines actions residents, agencies and community organizations can take to reduce the risk and impact of wildfires.
Missoula County’s plan was last updated in 2018. The new update will use new data, review how conditions have changed and address new issues, such as wildfire smoke.
The workshops will include presentations, breakout sessions, displays and the opportunity for community discussion. They will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on:
- Monday, June 1, at the Balsamroot Room at the Exploration Center, 1075 South Ave. W., in Missoula
- Tuesday, June 2, at the Frenchtown Fire Hall, 6875 Marion St., Frenchtown
- Wednesday, June 3, at the Lolo School Commons, 5305 Farm Lane, Lolo
- Thursday, June 4, at the Sullivan Memorial Community Park Building, 3248 Hwy 83, Seeley Lake.
Residents unable to attend a workshop can complete a survey online in early June.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
The Missoula County Public Schools board is taking applications for the trustee position representing high school district “D,” which includes the Seeley Swan, Potomac, Clinton and Sunset areas. The board Tuesday declared the seat vacant after neither Trustee Lisa Davey nor anyone else filed to run for the position earlier this year. Applicants must live within the Seeley-Swan, Seeley Lake, Sunset, Potomac or Clinton school district boundaries and be a registered voter. Applications are due June 18, and the board will interview candidates during its meeting June 23. More information is available on the school district’s website.
The second half of property taxes is due by 5 p.m. Monday, June 1. Payments postmarked on or before the due date will be considered on time, but the U.S. Postal Service may not postmark on the date received unless requested. Missoula County property owners can mail payments to the county Clerk and Treasurer’s Office, pay in person at the treasurer’s office or pay online. There are no additional fees for online eCheck payments. More information on tax bills is available on the county’s website.
Missoula County high school graduations are set for next week. The Willard Alternative High School celebration is at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 4, at the Wilma. The graduation for the Missoula Connect Academy, the district’s virtual charter school, is at 7 p.m. Friday, June 5, at the Margaret Johnson Theater in Sentinel High School. On Saturday, June 6, at the University of Montana’s Adams Center, Hellgate High School’s ceremony is at 9 a.m., followed by Sentinel High School at noon and Big Sky High School at 3 p.m. Seeley-Swan High School’s graduation is at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 7, at the high school.
A free weekend shuttle to Marshall Mountain Park is operating again through October. Buses depart from Mountain Line’s downtown transfer center at the top of the hour and depart Marshall Mountain at half past the hour. The route begins at 8 a.m., and the last pickup at Marshall will be at 4:30 p.m. The shuttle stops at the Missoula College and Sha-Ron fishing access stops on the outbound route only. The shuttle can accommodate up to 16 passengers and 16 bikes. No e-bikes or dogs are allowed at the park or on the shuttle.
The Missoula Police Department is auctioning abandoned vehicles Thursday, June 4. Bids start at $85 for towed vehicles that were never reclaimed. The 36 vehicles for sale will be available for viewing at 9:30 a.m., and the auction begins at 10 a.m. at Pro Towing, 1922 S. Third St. W. in Missoula. A list of the vehicles and a link to preregister for the auction are available online.
Might be Fun
Missoula’s annual summer series Out to Lunch and Downtown ToNight kick off next week at Caras Park. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday, residents can enjoy live music and grab lunch from more than a dozen food trucks. The Thursday evening event from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. features food trucks, an adult beverage garden, live music, kids’ activities and the Missoula Makers Collective Market. The events run weekly in June, July and August.
Nonprofit theater company MissCast Productions is putting on a fundraiser cabaret and variety show, “Rags to Riches,” next weekend to celebrate its five-year anniversary. The show will include singing, dancing, comedy and prizes. Tickets are $25. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6, at the Zootown Arts Community Center.