For Voters

Voting can be confusing -  it’s hard to know which candidates will be our advocates or which ballot measures will improve our lives. Each year, we produce a voter guide to help low-income and marginalized Montanans vote their values. You can see our past voter guides below.

If you are a new voter and have never registered, if you’ve moved since you last voted, or if you have not voted in the last two federal general elections,  then you need to register to vote  in order to cast your ballot and have your voice heard. If you don’t know if you’re registered to vote, you can check your voter registration status on MyVoterPage.

If you’re registering to vote more than 30 days before Election Day: 

1. Find a Catalyst Montana volunteer in your community. 

2. Register to vote using our online voter registration portal 

3. Pick up a voter registration card at your county elections office 

If you’re registering to vote within 30 days of the next election: 

1. Register and vote at your county elections office in-person up until 8pm on Election Day.

There are three ways you can vote in Montana: 

• Vote by mail: You can register to receive your ballot in the mail when you register to vote OR by completing this form.  Once you’ve marked your ballot, you’ll place it in the provided secrecy envelope and then place it in the provided mailing envelope. You can then mail it or drop it off at a county elections office. Remember: Your mail ballot, sometimes called an absentee ballot, must be received, not postmarked, by the county elections office by 8pm on Election Day to be counted. 

• Vote at the polls: You can vote alongside your neighbors at your assigned polling location on Election Day. most polling locations are open from 7am to 8pm on Election Day. You can find out where your polling location is by visiting MyVoterPage. 

• Vote at your county election office: You can vote early at your county elections office starting 30 days before Election Day. Simply go in person to your county elections office during their normal business hours and request a ballot. They will check your voter registration status and provide you with a correct ballot to complete at their office or at home.

Yes, just describe where you are primarily residing on the line on the form for residence address. This is important info to identify your voting precinct and district. If you have an address where you receive mail, list that as your “mailing address” so you can receive information from the elections office.

To register to vote in Montana, you have to be 18 years old before the next election, a U.S. Citizen, and live in Montana.

Yes! In Montana, you can register and vote as long as you’re not currently incarcerated for a felony. 

The jury pool is made up of registered voters, individuals with a Montana driver’s license, and those who have a state issued ID.

If you're voting in person at your county's elections office or at your polling location on Election Day, you'll need to bring a current, valid form of identification that verifies that you are a qualified elector. Appropriate forms of identification include: 

• Montana driver's license or Montana ID Card

• United States passport

• Student ID card

• Tribal photo ID card

• Military photo ID card

• Concealed carry permit

If you don't have any of the above forms of ID, you can bring an alternative form of photo ID that includes your name and picture (i.e. student ID) OR a recent document that includes your name and current address (i.e. a recent pay stub, utility bill, bank statement, or other government document addressed to you).

You have the right to have help casting your ballot from anyone you choose, except your employer or union representative. You can also bring in notes or a voter guide.

Yes! You have the right vote at an accessible polling place. Ask your county election official to make sure you are assigned to one. You can find contact information for your county election official here. Learn more about the accessible voting equipment here.

If your disability prevents you from entering a polling place, you  have the right to vote from your vehicle. A friend or relative may ask an election judge to bring your ballot to your car.

If your vision is impaired, you have the right to a Voter Information Pamphlet printed in large type or recorded on tape. These are available at your local library.

If you can't leave your home, you have the right to have a ballot delivered to you. Your county election official or a nursing home staffer can tell you how. This also applies if you suddenly become ill or have a health emergency on Election Day. Before noon on Election Day, you can ask your county election official or a hospital employee  to provide you with an absentee ballot.

Learn more about your rights as a voter with disabilities here.