Popular Election Forms

Voters will select trustees for school board, volunteer fire districts, water and/or sewer districts, and other special purpose districts. Ballots may also include questions such as levies.

Note: if there is no contest for a school or special purpose district, the election will be cancelled.

June 7, 2022 - Federal, State, and County Primary Election

At the Primary election, voters nominate candidates from a political party to run in the November General election for federal, state, and county offices.

Montana has an "Open Primary" system. This means:

√ You do not register to vote with a political party.

√ You get to choose which party's primary you want to nominate candidates from; and

√ Your choice is secret.

√ You are still limited to voting in ONE party's primary election.

Here's how it works: Absentee voters will be sent all political party ballots, and choose one to vote and return in their ballot secrecy envelope. The ballot secrecy envelope is returned in an outer envelope that is signed by the voter. It is important to only vote ONE party ballot. If you return two voted party ballots in your secrecy envelope, they will be rejected.

Polling place voters will also be provided with all party ballots, and must choose one to vote. Election judges at the polls will instruct voters to place their voted ballot in a separate secrecy sleeve from their unvoted ballots. The judges will deposit the voted ballot in the ballot box, and the unvoted ballots in a separate container. Because the ballots are placed in secrecy sleeves, the judges do not know which party ballot the elector voted.

Whether you vote absentee or at the polls, there is no record of which party ballot you voted.

Remember, you can only nominate candidates from ONE political party. We hear from voters who have questions like, "I want to vote to nominate someone for Senator from the Democratic party, and to nominate someone for Representative from the Republican party - how can I do that?" This is not possible. Our Open Primary system allows you to choose which party's primary to vote in without pre-registering with that party. You must still choose one party's primary to vote in.

Though you may only nominate candidates from one political party in the Primary, at the November General election you may vote for candidates from different political parties if you wish.

How do I vote in the next election?

1. Register to vote. (Regular registration closes 30 days before Election Day. If it is within 30 days of the election, you may "late register" in person at the elections office. Late registration closes at 12noon the day before the election.)

2. Request an absentee (mailed) ballot or use My Voter Page to locate your polling place.*

*For many local elections, such as school or city elections, there are no polling places - all ballots are mailed.

3. Submit your absentee/mail ballot by 8pm on Election Day** or visit your polling place by 8pm on Election Day.

**Postmarks are not accepted on absentee/mail ballots; your ballot must be received by 8pm on Election Day!

For more information, visit our Voter Information Page or contact us.

Where can I find Election Results?

Results are available on our website here. Additional results can be found on the Secretary of State's website. Contact us if you cannot find what you are looking for.

Where can I find more information about running as a candidate in an election?

Candidates for County, City, or Special Purpose District offices must file paperwork with the county elections department in order to appear on the ballot. We can only accept candidate filing forms during certain time periods. When that time period is approaching, we will post additional information for candidates on the webpage for candidates, including candidate filing forms.

Please note that while we may post some information regarding candidate qualifications on our website, it is your responsibility to determine whether or not you are eligible to run and hold the office.

If you would like more information on filing for State or Federal Offices, including legislative offices, you can find more information on the Secretary of State's webpage for candidates.

Candidates for school boards usually file with the school clerk. More information about running for school board can be found on the Office of Public Instruction's website or by contacting the clerk at your school district's business office.

Look up your voter registration information with My Voter Page

With www.MyVoterPageMT.com you can:

√ Confirm your voter registration information

√ Check your voter status

√ Track your absentee ballot in Federal Elections

√ Locate your polling place

√ View your Federal Primary or Federal General sample ballot

About the Elections Department

One of five departments under County Treasurer/Clerk and Recorder Amy Reeves, the Elections Department is responsible for administering all federal, state, county, and special purpose district elections in Lewis and Clark County according to federal and state election laws. Elections for school boards, bonds, and levies may be run by the Elections Department, or by the school district's school clerk.

As a part of administering these elections, the department maintains the voter registration files for approximately 50,000 registered voters in Lewis and Clark County.

If you can't find what you're looking for on our website, call us at 406-447-8339, send an email to elections(at)lccountymt.gov, or stop by the office on the first floor of the City-County building in downtown Helena, 316 N Park Ave, Rm 168 in Helena.