GREAT FALLS — The Montana ExpoPark is ready for voters on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Everything inside is ready for the long lines expected, and outside they even have concrete barriers to keep people from electioneering too close to the building.
“It’s like the bride planning for the wedding,” said Terry Thompson, Cascade County Elections Administrator. “You just want to get the event going.”
Like a bride-to-be, Thompson is excited and ready for Election Day.
“Exhibition Hall is all set up, and the judges are all aware of their jobs for tomorrow, so we’re looking forward to it,” Thompson said.
At 8:30 AM on Monday, early vote counting began in order to be better prepared for Election Day itself.
“The count board is here, resolution board, all in the same folks that do all of that,” Thompson said, “So yep, we started at 8:30 this morning and will go to about 5:30 this evening.”
Even with many absentee ballots filled out, Thompson expects a full house for in-person voting on Tuesday.
Some voters in Cascade County say they received the wrong ballot:
“We’re going to have long lines here,” Thompson said. “People are just going to have to be patient with each other, and we’ll try to do our best to get people in and out as quickly as we can.”
All polls in Cascade County open at 7AM tomorrow and close at 8PM.
Drop off locations are the Courthouse Annex, as well as walk-in and drive-in options at Exhibition Hall. Same day registration will be available as well.
“I think that it’s exciting to see how many people really want to vote this year,” Thompson said. “Every vote counts, and we’re doing our best to make sure that that’s gonna happen.
The 2024 general election will be on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024. Below is a summary of key points and links to online resources.
On Election Day, most polling places open at 7 a.m. (smaller counties may open later; confirm with your county election office) and close at 8 p.m.
VOTER IDENTIFICATION
Voter ID In-Person Options: An election judge will request your identification and verify that it is an acceptable form of identification. Typically, an elector identifies themselves with a current photo identification showing the elector's name as seen in the examples listed below:
- Valid Driver's License
- MT State Identification Card
- Military ID
- Tribal Photo ID
- U.S. Passport
- MT Concealed Carry Permit
- School District or Postsecondary Education Photo ID
Other forms of ID: If the elector does not present photo identification, the elector shall present a current one of the following, which must show your name and current address:
- Utility Bill
- Bank Statement
- Paycheck or Government Check
- Notice of Confirmation of Voter Registration
- Government Document
If you are having difficulty obtaining identification, please contact soselections@mt.gov. If you are unable to produce any of the above identification options, please contact your county election official about the provisional voting process.
BALLOT ISSUES
CI-126 (Ballot Issue #12)
Subject: Amends the Montana Constitution to provide a top-four primary election. All candidates, regardless of political party, appear on one ballot. The four candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general election. A candidate may list a political party preference, but a candidate isn’t required to be nominated by a political party. A candidate’s political party preference isn’t an endorsement by the political party. The legislature may require candidates gather signatures up to five percent of the votes received by the winning candidate in the last election to appear on the ballot. All voters may vote for one candidate for each covered office. The amendment applies to the elections for governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state representative, state senator, United State representative, and United States Senator.
Submitter: Rob Cook, Frank Garner, Bruce Tutvedt, Doug Campbell, Ted Kronebusch, and Bruce Grubbs.
CI-127 (Ballot Issue #13)
Subject: Amends the Montana Constitution to provide that elections for certain offices must be decided by majority vote as determined as provided by law rather than by a plurality or the largest amount of the votes. If it cannot be determined who received a majority of votes because two or more candidates are tied, then the winner of the election will be determined as provided by law. This act applies to elections for governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state representative, state senator, United States representative, United States Senator, and other offices as provided by law.
Submitter: Rob Cook, Frank Garner, Bruce Tutvedt, Doug Campbell, Ted Kronebusch, and Bruce Grubbs.
CI-128 (Ballot Issue #14)
Subject: A constitutional initiative that would amend the Montana Constitution to expressly provide a right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion. It would prohibit the government from denying or burdening the right to abortion before fetal viability. It would also prohibit the government from denying or burdening access to an abortion when a treating healthcare professional determines it is medically indicated to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health. The initiative would prevent the government from penalizing patients, healthcare providers, or anyone who assists someone in exercising their right to make and carry out voluntary decisions about their pregnancy.
Submitter: Samuel Dickman
CANDIDATES
U.S. President
Donald J. Trump - Republican
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. - We The People
Kamala D. Harris - Democrat
Chase Oliver - Libertarian
Jill Stein - Green
U.S. Senate
Sid Daoud - Libertarian
Robert Barb - Green
Tim Sheehy - Republican
Jon Tester - Democrat
US Representative (1st District)
Ryan Zinke - Republican
Dennis Hayes - Libertarian
Monica Tranel - Democrat
US Representative (2nd District)
Troy Downing - Republican
John B. Driscoll - Democrat
Governor
Ryan Busse - Democrat
Kaiser Leib - Libertarian
Greg Gianforte - Republican
Secretary of State
Christi Jacobsen - Republican
John Lamb - Libertarian
Jesse James Mullen - Democrat
Attorney General
Austin Knudsen - Republican
Ben Alke - Democrat
State Auditor
James Brown - Republican
John Repke - Democrat
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Susie Hedalen - Republican
Shannon O'Brien - Democrat
Clerk of the Supreme Court
Bowen Greenwood - Republican
Erin Farris-Olsen - Democrat
Roger Roots - Libertarian
Supreme Court Chief Justice
Jeremiah Lynch
Cory Swanson
Supreme Court Justice #3
Katherine Bidegaray
Dan Wilson
Click here to see the list of all candidates for the Montana Legislature and other region-specific candidates.
The Montana Secretary Of State website provides details about registering to vote, absentee voting, voter identification, candidate information, ballot issues, and more.
