2026 election

Voting in Montana

Primary

Held

Tuesday, June 2

General

Tuesday, November 3

Early voting

October 5 – November 2

Register by mail by: October 5
Register in person by: November 3
Request a mail ballot by: November 2, 12pm
Mailed ballot must arrive by: November 3, 8pm

See every race and candidate on your Montana ballot, and where each one stands, before you vote.

Plan your ballot →

How to cast your ballot

By mail

Any registered voter may vote by mail — no reason needed.

Request a ballot Track your ballot The rules Where to drop it off

In person

Polls open on election day: 7am – 8pm
Or vote early: In the windows shown above
Or vote early: In-person absentee voting at your county site starting 30 days before the election

What counts as ID

You will be asked to show a current and valid photo ID to vote in Montana.

Acceptable forms of photo ID include:

Montana driver's license or state ID card
military ID
tribal ID
US passport
Montana concealed carry permit
student ID issued by the Montana university system or a school that is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

If you don’t have one of the above, you can show any photo ID with your name and ONE of the following:

current utility bill
bank statement
paycheck
notice of confirmation of voter registration
government check
other government document that shows your name and current address

Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, you may vote a provisional ballot. If you cast a provisional ballot, you must provide a form of acceptable ID to your county election office on or before 5 p.m. the day after the election—either in person, by fax, or by mail (if postmarked by that deadline).

Find your polling place Early voting

Before you can vote

Registering

Ways to register:

By mail
At the polls on election day

Who can register, and what you need

To register in Montana you must:

be a United States citizen
be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
be a resident of Montana and of the county in which you want to vote for at least 30 days before the next election
not be in a penal institution for a felony conviction
not currently be determined by a court to be of unsound mind

Check if you are registered Register

Which primary can you vote in?

You are NOT required to register with a party to participate in Montana partisan primary elections.

Also voted on June 2: California, Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota.

Dates, deadlines and rules come from DemocracyWorks, last refreshed August 27, 2026; poll hours from our own election guide. Rules change — check with your election office before you rely on a date.