Voting
Poll Times
Most polling places run 7 a.m. - 8 p.m., although some polling places may open as late as 12 p.m.
ID Requirements
Non-photo identification is required:
Valid driver's license
School district or postsecondary education photo ID
Tribal photo ID
Current utility bill
Bank statement
Paycheck
Notice of confirmation of voter registration
Government check
Another government document that shows the elector's name and current address
Can I vote by mail in Montana?
Yes, you can! Voting by mail is the default in Montana.
How do I get my ballot?
Every registered Montana voter will automatically be mailed a ballot—no need to request one.
What's the deadline to submit my ballot?
Your mail-in ballot must be received by your local election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 3).
Early voting
Oct. 5
Members of the military, their families, and US citizens living overseas can request a ballot to vote from anywhere in the world.
What's on my ballot?
Candidates & Races
Biography
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. (b. November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania) is the former Democratic vice president of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama (D) from January 20, 2009, to January 20, 2017. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Delaware from 1973 to 2009.
On April 25, 2019, Biden announced that he was running for president of the United States in 2020. With the plurality of pledged delegates, Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee on April 8, 2020, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended his presidential campaign. Biden crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination on June 5, 2020, and was formally nominated at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on August 18, 2020.
Biden announced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020. He called her "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants." Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.
On January 12, 2017, President Barack Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his lifetime of public service, marking the final time Obama would present the nation's highest civilian honor. Biden received the award with distinction, an additional honor given only to Pope John Paul II, former President Ronald Reagan, and retired Gen. Colin Powell in the previous three administrations.
Biography
Donald John Trump (b. June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York) is the 45th and current president of the United States. He assumed office on January 20, 2017. He filed to run for re-election on the same day.
Key policy initiatives during Trump's first term include the United States withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and First Step Act in 2018, reducing the size of the ISIS caliphate, and establishing the Space Force as an independent military branch. Trump has made more than 200 federal judicial appointments, including two U.S. Supreme Court justices.
During his presidency, Trump has issued eight vetoes. To read more about these vetoes, click here.
On December 18, 2019, Trump became the third president in U.S. history to be impeached by the U.S. House. The U.S. Senate acquitted Trump on both charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress on February 5, 2020.
Biography
Kamala Devi Harris (b. October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California) is a Democratic member of the U.S. Senate from California. Harris was first elected to the Senate in 2016. She became the second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the first Indian American to serve in the chamber.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Harris was his running mate on August 11, 2020. He called her "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants." Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.
Harris previously ran for president of the United States, entering the race on January 21, 2019. She suspended her presidential campaign on December 3, 2019, and endorsed Biden on March 8, 2020.
Harris is the former attorney general of California. She served in the position from 2011 to 2017. She also served as San Francisco's district attorney from 2004 to 2011.
Biography
Michael Richard "Mike" Pence (b. June 7, 1959, in Columbus, Indiana) is the 48th vice president of the United States, serving in President Donald Trump's (R) administration. He was elected on November 8, 2016, and sworn in on January 20, 2017.
Pence served as the 50th governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017. As governor, Pence signed into law a 5 percent individual income tax cut in Indiana. He also supported the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015, allowing individuals and businesses to exert a right to the free exercise of religion. In his first year in office, FiveThirtyEight ranked him as the second most conservative governor in the country.
From 2001 to 2013, Pence served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During his final year in the House, Pence was rated a far-right Republican leader based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack.
Pence's press secretary stated that Pence tested negative for coronavirus on March 21, 2020. Pence was tested after one of his staffers tested positive. Click here for more information on political figures impacted by coronavirus.
Biography
Greg Gianforte (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Montana's At-Large Congressional District. He assumed office on June 21, 2017. His current term ends on January 3, 2021.
Gianforte (Republican Party) is running for election for Governor of Montana. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020. He advanced from the Republican primary on June 2, 2020.
Gianforte filed for governor on a joint ticket with lieutenant governor candidate Kristen Juras (R).
Prior to his election to the U.S. House, Gianforte worked as a businessman and entrepreneur, founding five companies. Gianforte and his wife, Susan, founded RightNow Technologies, a customer relationship management software company, in 1997 and sold it to Oracle in 2012. According to USA Today, Gianforte was the richest member in the 116th Congress.
Gianforte pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault on June 12, 2017, for his May 24 attack on Ben Jacobs, a reporter from The Guardian. Jacobs alleged that Gianforte slammed him to the floor and broke his glasses during an interview at the candidate's campaign headquarters. Gianforte was sentenced to community service and ordered to attend anger management classes and pay a $385 fine.
Gianforte was a 2016 Republican candidate for governor of Montana. He and running mate Lesley Robinson won the Republican nomination on June 7. He was defeated by incumbent Steve Bullock (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Biography
Lyman Bishop (Libertarian Party) is running for election for Governor of Montana. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020. The Libertarian Party primary for this office on June 2, 2020, was canceled.
Bishop filed for governor on a joint ticket with lieutenant governor candidate John Nesper (L).
Biography
Mike Cooney (Democratic Party) is the Lieutenant Governor of Montana. He assumed office on January 4, 2016. His current term ends on January 4, 2021.
Cooney (Democratic Party) is running for election for Governor of Montana. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020. He advanced from the Democratic primary on June 2, 2020.
Cooney ran for re-election in 2016 as Governor Bullock's running mate. They won the Democratic nomination on June 7. He won the general election on November 8, 2016.
Biography
Robert Barb (Green Party) ran for election for Governor of Montana. He was disqualified from the general election scheduled on November 3, 2020. He advanced from the Green Party primary on June 2, 2020.
Barb filed for governor on a joint ticket with lieutenant governor candidate Joshua Thomas (G).
Initiatives
A "yes" vote supports amending constitutional language to match the existing signature distribution requirements for initiated constitutional amendments.
A "no" vote opposes amending constitutional language to match the existing signature distribution requirements for initiated constitutional amendments, thereby keeping unenforced, county-based signature distribution requirements in the language of the constitution.
A "yes" vote supports amending constitutional language to match the existing signature distribution requirements for initiated state statutes and veto referendums.
A "no" vote opposes amending constitutional language to match the existing signature distribution requirements for initiated state statutes and veto referendums, thereby keeping unenforced, county-based signature distribution requirements in the language of the constitution.
A "yes" vote supports amending the Montana Constitution to allow for the legislature or a citizen initiative to establish a minimum legal age for the possession, use, and purchase of marijuana, similar to the regulation of alcohol in the state constitution.
A "no" vote opposes amending the Montana Constitution to allow for the legislature or a citizen initiative to establish minimum legal ages for the possession, use, and purchase of marijuana.
A "yes" vote supports legalizing the possession and use of marijuana for adults over the age of 21, imposing a 20% tax on marijuana sales, requiring the Department of Revenue to develop rules to regulate marijuana businesses, and allowing for the resentencing or expungement of marijuana-related crimes.
A "no" vote opposes this ballot initiative, thus keeping the recreational possession and use of marijuana illegal under state law in Montana.
A "yes" vote supports this measure to remove local governments' authority to regulate the carrying of permitted concealed weapons.
A "no" vote opposes this measure to remove local governments' authority to regulate the carrying of permitted concealed weapons, thus allowing local governments to continue to regulate permitted concealed weapons within their jurisdictions.
Election News
