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Voter Services

Elections

Voter Services

 

Register to vote

So you’re new to Missoula County and want to register to vote? If there are more than 30 days until the next election, then your first step is to fill out the Montana Voter Registration Application. If you’d like to receive your ballot in the mail for each election, make sure to check the box to receive an absentee ballot. Then you can send it to use using the form below, or mail or deliver it to at the Elections Center, 140 N. Russell St., Missoula, MT 59801.  

If it’s less than 30 days before the next election or today is Election Day, Montana law requires that you register to vote in person. You can do this at the Elections Center or at voter services event near you.

Need to change your address, name or update your signature? You’ll need to fill out the voter registration application again. Follow the guidelines above for whether you can submit it via mail/email or in person.

If you’re already registered to vote but want to start receiving your ballots in the mail, you can fill out the application for absentee ballot. If the next election is 30+ days from now, you can email, mail or drop it off. If the next election is less than 30 days from now or if today is Election Day, you’ll need to make this and any other changes to your registration in person at the Elections Center.

Submit your voter registration form

Signatures

Please note, we cannot accept electronic signatures on the voter registration form. Please print out the application and sign it with a blue or black pen, then scan or take a picture and attach it below. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

All voters are required to show one form of identification at the polls on Election Day. Acceptable forms of identification are:

  • Montana Driver’s License or any form of photo ID with the voter’s name, including but not limited to:
  • state-issued ID, federal-issued ID, tribal ID, student ID or military ID.
  • If a voter does not have a photo ID, the voter may provide a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or any government-issued document with the voter’s name and current address.

Yes! If you spilled something or otherwise damaged ballot or selected a candidate you didn't want to vote for, please get a replacement ballot! You can do this by visiting the Elections Center at 140 N. Russell St. in Missoula, or at a voter services event in your community. Elections Center hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; extended hours are often offered leading up to major elections. 

If you think your ballot might not be received by mail on Election Day, you can also drop it off at the Missoula County Elections Center at 140 N. Russell St. or at any designated polling place or ballot drop-off location. The post office recommends mailing a ballot at least seven days prior to Election Day. If there is less than a week before Election Day, make sure to drop off your ballot in-person.

A federal primary election is held every even-numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June. A federal general election is held every even-numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Presidential elections are combined with the congressional, statewide, state district and county elections.

A municipal primary election, if necessary, is held every odd-numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in September. A municipal general election is held every odd-numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Yes!  If you moved within Missoula County, you need to re-register by mail/email or at the Elections Office. Please visit our Voter Registration page to re-register. If you moved to a different county, you need to register in your new county.  Visit the Secretary of State's website to see a complete list of Montana election offices.

Mail Ballots

If you sign up to receive your ballot in the mail, you will receive about three weeks ahead of Election Day. Be sure to review the voter instructions carefully, vote your ballot, put it in the secrecy envelope and then the signature envelope. Don’t forget to sign! Then drop it in a mailbox or a ballot drop-off location by 8 p.m. on Election Day – postmarks don’t count!

Military & Overseas Voters

Voters serving in the military or otherwise living overseas with a Montana voting residence can cast a ballot in all elections they’re eligible to vote in.

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) created special provisions to make registering to vote and receiving, returning and tracking absentee ballots easier for members of the armed forces or certain overseas U.S. citizens while away from their Montana voting residence.

UOCAVA voters are most often one of the following:

  • Member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marines on active duty
  • Spouse or dependent of a member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marines on active duty
  • U.S. citizen residing outside the United States
  • Other individuals meeting definitions of "absent uniformed services voter" and "overseas voter" under Montana law.

Eligible voters should click here to start the registration process. Call us at 406-258-4817 with any questions.

Registered military and overseas voters will receive an electronic ballot 45 days prior to federal and presidential elections, ballots are available to military and overseas voters. The Federal Voting Assistance Program also provides information on this process.