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Election prep underway in Cascade County

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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.

Prepping for Election Day 2024 in Great Falls

“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.

“We’re gonna have long lines here as well tomorrow,” 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.