On Oct. 9, local election offices mailed out absentee ballots, which account for the majority of ballots cast in Montana. Many Montanans will have their ballots in hand early next week. Many more are preparing to vote at their local polling place on Election Day, Nov. 3.
However you choose to vote, you might have questions. Here are the answers.
WHO CAN VOTE?
You have to be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and a resident of Montana for at least 30 days.
People serving felony sentences in prison and people deemed to be of “unsound mind” by a judge are ineligible to vote in Montana.
HOW DO I REGISTER TO VOTE, AND WHAT’S THE DEADLINE?
Complete a voter registration application and send it to your county election administrator. You can find a full list of election administrators here. To update your voter registration, you need to submit the same voter registration application.
If you’re in line to register to vote by 8 p.m. on Election Day, you’re good to go.
WHERE CAN I VOTE IN PERSON, AND WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Counties designate their own polling locations. You can check the Montana secretary of state’s full list of polling locations, or use your name and birthday to look up nearby polling locations on the SOS website.
You must provide a photo ID, like a driver’s license or tribal ID. A 2025 law amended the list of qualifying IDs to include a driver’s license, tribal ID, passport or student ID issued by a university that is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. If your photo ID isn’t on that list, you’ll additionally need to provide a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government document that confirms your name and current address.
WHAT’S THE DEADLINE FOR VOTING?
Polling places are statutorily required to be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you’re voting absentee, you have to drop off your ballot no later than 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. If you’re voting in person, you must be in line at the polling location by 8 p.m. to cast your ballot.
In 2025, the Legislature tried to limit Election Day voter registration, but a May 11 court order blocked those changes. Pending further court action, voters can still register to vote up until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
HOW DO I VOTE ABSENTEE?
You can request an absentee ballot when you fill out your voter registration application, or you can fill out an absentee application form. If your most recent ballot came by mail, you should expect to receive one for this election, too. Absentee ballots were mailed Oct. 9 this year.
If you want to mail your ballot back rather than return it in person, the U.S. Postal Service recommends doing so at least a week before Election Day. You can check your ballot’s status with the Montana secretary of state using a tool on the agency’s website.
You can also deliver an absentee ballot at a polling place any time before 8 p.m. on Election Day.
DO I NEED TO FILL OUT THE BIRTH YEAR ON MY ABSENTEE BALLOT RETURN ENVELOPE?
You may have received a mailer (I did) from your elections office as late as Oct. 9 reminding you that a 2025 law requires you to write your four-digit birth year on your affirmation envelope. But no, you don’t have to fill that out. A state judge on Oct. 5 ruled that law unconstitutional.
But Connor Fitzpatrick, the elections division supervisor in Lewis and Clark County, said that because that ruling came down after ballots were printed, most return envelopes will still have a birth year section.
And an appeals court could still overrule that recent decision, Fitzpatrick said, so the Lewis and Clark County Elections Office still encourages all absentee voters to write their birth year on the envelopes, just in case.
WHAT IF I REQUESTED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT, BUT IT NEVER ARRIVED?
It’s going to be ok. You can go to your election office anytime before 8 p.m. on Election Day to get a valid ballot.
Also, it’s probably a good idea to visit myvoterpage.mt.gov to check the mailing address associated with your voter registration. It might be out of date. For instance, updating your mailing address with the U.S. Postal Service doesn’t update your registered voting address. Your local elections office can help you update your address for this and future elections.
WHAT’S ON MY BALLOT?
You can look up who’s on your ballot using Montana Free Press’ Election Guide.
Ballots will vary based on where you are in the state, but they’ll all include statewide races for U.S. Senate and the Montana Supreme Court. Eastern and western Montana congressional districts will also be electing candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives.
WHERE CAN I FIND ELECTION RESULTS?
You’re already in the right place! Montana Free Press will be covering live results in real time on election night.
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