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HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana Election Team have completed ballot certification for Montana’s 2026 Primary Election, finalizing the list of candidates who will appear before voters on Tuesday, June 2.

Pursuant to Montana law, county election administrators certify local candidates for the primary ballot in their respective counties, while the Secretary of State’s Office certifies the names and designations of statewide and state district candidates, including candidates for federal, legislative, and certain judicial offices.

The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) notified the Secretary of State’s Office and the county election administrators of any candidate(s) whose name(s) may not appear on the ballot pursuant to Montana law.

“The ballot certification process is a key step in ensuring Montana’s elections are accurate, secure, and transparent,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “I’m grateful to our state election officials and the county election administrators and their teams across the state for their hard work preparing for the 2026 Primary Election.”

A total of 380 candidates filed with the Secretary of State’s Office during the candidate filing period (Tuesday, February 17 – Wednesday, March 4). Several candidates withdrew from their respective races, while Independent candidates are pending petition requirements to qualify for the general election ballot.

Filings with the Secretary of State’s Office included:

• United States Senator: Twelve total candidates filed for the office, though one withdrew and one is pending petition requirements. Five Democrats, three Republicans, and two Libertarians will appear on Montanans’ Primary Election ballots. One Independent candidate must meet Montana’s petition requirements.
• United States Representative: Sixteen total filings in the 1^st and 2^nd Congressional races.
  • 1^st Congressional (MT-01) Ten candidates submitted paperwork for the Congressional seat – four Democrats, four Republicans, and one Libertarian. One Independent candidate must meet petition requirements. The incumbent did not file for re-election.
  • 2^nd Congressional (MT-02) Six candidates submitted filing paperwork, including the incumbent, who is the lone Republican to file for the race. Three Democrats and one Libertarian filed, while one Independent also submitted their paperwork for the race and is pending petition requirements.
• Public Service Commission: Seven candidates will appear on the ballot for the two PSC seats.
  • PSC District 1: Two Republicans and one Democrat will appear before voters for the open seat.
  • PSC District 5: The incumbent is one of three Republicans to file for the seat, while one Democrat also filed.
• Supreme Court Justice: Two candidates filed for the Supreme Court Justice No. 4 race – Judge Dan Wilson was the first to file for Montana’s high court, and Judge Amy Eddy followed suit later the same day.
• District Court Judge: Thirteen candidates submitted filings, including several judges currently on the bench.
• Legislature: The majority of candidate filings were for Legislative seats, where 329 total filings were submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office, nearly 130 of which came on the opening day.
  • Montana State Senate: Sixty-six candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election, including more than 10 incumbents.
  • Montana State House: A total of 235 candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election. Three Independent candidates are pending petition requirements. Dozens of incumbents filed for re-election.

For more information, visit the candidate filing page on the Secretary of State’s website at https://sosmt.gov/elections/filing/.

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HELENA, Mont. — Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced that the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted a thorough examination of 23 Montana voter records flagged through the SAVE tool. Based on all federal records at its disposal, USCIS confirmed that all 23 belong to individuals who appear in non-citizen status.

A state review of the 23 voter records indicated nearly 150 ballots were cast in Montana elections. Additionally, several voter records indicated participation in Montana’s petition signature-gathering process.

“For the first time in state history, election officials are able to verify citizenship of Montana’s voter rolls, and at no cost. The federal government’s SAVE tool is producing results,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “One illegal vote disenfranchises the voices of eligible Montanans and can cause irreparable harm to our elections.

Close election races are common in Montana, particularly at the local level. In fact, a recent city council ward race resulted in a tie, and it’s increasingly common for Montana’s local elections to be decided by only a handful of votes. Several races during the 2024 General Election were flagged as possible recount races due to their slim margins.

Secretary Jacobsen also announced that her office had been notified that a non-citizen had come forward and requested cancellation of their voter registration. An initial review indicated that the individual participated in Montana’s electoral process. The update comes after Secretary Jacobsen provided public outreach to Montanans, which was required and an official duty of the office, announcing that election officials would begin verifying the citizenship of the state’s voter registration list.

“Montana has made it clear: only citizens should be allowed to register and vote, and non-citizen voting will not be tolerated,” Secretary Jacobsen said. “Anyone illegally on Montana’s voter rolls should follow this individual’s example – come forward and cancel your illegal voter registration.”

The Secretary of State’s Office will immediately begin working with the appropriate counties. Because of the confidential nature of an ongoing investigation and due-process procedures, state and county elections officials will have no further comment, and no additional details are available at this time. The Montana Election Team remains committed to transparency and will continue to provide Montanans with updates as they become available.

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HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen this week welcomed election officials from across the state to the 2026 Montana Election Summit, a multi‑day training and collaboration event focused on preparing for this year’s elections. The summit brought together members of the Montana Election Team – state and local officials from all 56 counties – for certification training, best‑practice sessions, and discussions on election security, voter education, and customer service.

“This summit is about that trust. It’s about the Montana Election Team – state and local officials working side by side, sharing ideas, solving problems, and making sure we’re ready for anything 2026 throws at us,” said Secretary Jacobsen in her opening remarks. “I always say we are one election team in Montana, and looking around this room proves it.”

Throughout the summit, attendees participated in sessions on topics such as updates to election law and administrative rules, cybersecurity and physical security for elections, ballot‑handling procedures, post‑election audits, and communicating important election information to voters. County election officials also had the opportunity to visit with staff from the Secretary of State’s Office and Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to discuss procedures and processes ahead of the 2026 Primary and General Elections.

“This Summit is a chance to step back and remember why this matters,” Secretary Jacobsen told the Montana Election Team. “Every filing form, every registration update, and every ballot you prepare is about one thing: making sure every eligible Montanan can have confidence that their vote is counted and counted correctly. When a race comes down to a handful of votes, your accuracy can literally decide who represents a community and which direction a policy goes.”

During the event, Secretary Jacobsen also unveiled Montana’s new “I Voted” sticker, which features patriotic colors, a mountain landscape, and the outline of the Treasure State. The sticker will be available to voters in all 56 counties during the 2026 election cycle, giving Montanans a fresh way to proudly share that they participated in the state’s midterm elections.

Secretary Jacobsen thanked county election administrators, clerks and recorders, and their staff for their ongoing work to serve Montana voters. She emphasized that strong elections depend on constant training, communication, and partnership between state and local officials.

“I’m incredibly proud of the Montana Election Team,” Secretary Jacobsen said. “Your professionalism, your attention to detail, and your commitment to getting it right are the reasons Montanans can have confidence in their elections. Thank you for the work you do every day, and thank you for everything you’ll do to serve voters in 2026.”

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HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen unveiled the state’s new “I Voted” sticker design, which will be available to voters across Montana during the 2026 election cycle. Secretary Jacobsen celebrated the unveiling in a collaboration with the Montana Election Team, which includes state and local election officials from all 56 counties.

The design features patriotic red, white, and blue colors with a bold outline of the state of Montana. It also incorporates Montana’s mountain landscape, reflecting the Treasure State’s majestic natural beauty. The stickers will allow Montana voters to proudly share their participation in the midterm elections.

“I’m excited to share Montana’s new ‘I Voted’ sticker with voters across the Treasure State,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “The design celebrates our mountains, beauty, and our love of country. It’s one more way to highlight the importance of making your voice heard at the ballot box as we kick off the 2026 election cycle. The Montana Election Team is honored to conduct these elections for Montanans, and we can’t wait to see voters proudly wearing this new sticker in June and November.”

Montanans will see the new sticker at polling places and in county election offices during the 2026 Primary and General Elections.

Secretary Jacobsen encouraged eligible Montanans to register to vote, confirm their registration information is accurate and up to date, and make a plan to participate in the upcoming elections. Montana voters can visit the Secretary of State’s one-stop voting resources website, VoteMT.gov, for more information.

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HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced today that the Secretary of State’s Office is providing $1 million in Help America Vote Act (HAVA) allocation to Montana’s county election offices to enhance and upgrade security measures for Montana elections.

All 56 counties can request the funding, which must fulfill certain objectives related to election security, including:

• Implementing election security requirements in Montana Administrative Rule,
• Hiring third-party security assessments and implementing recommendations,
• Installing security and surveillance cameras.

“It’s imperative that we ensure security, both physical and cyber, to protect our Montana elections,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “Since I was elected, we have made it a priority to upgrade and enhance security measures for our elections. The Department of Homeland Security has designated election systems as ‘critical infrastructure’ across the country, so it’s necessary for Montana to implement the proper security protocols to protect our elections, train our state and local election officials, and provide confidence to voters across Montana.”

Secretary Jacobsen and the Secretary of State’s Office have adopted comprehensive rules to strengthen election security, including requirements for security awareness training, physical security safeguards, and other protective measures that are now in place statewide. 

Beyond routine training and updates, counties are encouraged to continually bolster their security posture. To support that work, the Secretary of State’s Office has previously provided subgrants to Montana counties to implement security assessment recommendations and put additional security measures and procedures in place.

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HELENA, Mont. — Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen opened Montana’s 2026 candidate filing period on Tuesday morning, officially beginning the 2026 election cycle in the Treasure State. Secretary Jacobsen opened the doors to the Secretary of State’s Office at 8 a.m. as candidates look to serve their communities and state.

The first candidate to file for office was U.S. Senator Steve Daines, who submitted his paperwork to run for re‑election to the United States Senate.

“Our office is honored to open the doors for another election year and to welcome candidates as they step forward to represent their neighbors and communities,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “It is an honor and a privilege to run for office in Montana, and I want to thank every candidate who is willing to serve our state. I wish the best of luck to all of the candidates running this year.”

During the 2026 election cycle, Montanans will elect one U.S. Senator, both of Montana’s U.S. Representatives, 25 state senators, all 100 members of the Montana House of Representatives, and a variety of other offices, including Supreme Court Justice and Public Service Commission. Montanans will also elect several local leaders in 2026.

The 2026 candidate filing period runs from 8 a.m. on Tuesday, February 17, through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4.

For more information about the candidate filing period, including the offices on the ballot and important dates, visit the Secretary of State’s candidate filing page at https://sosmt.gov/elections/filing/.

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HELENA, Mont. — Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced that the free use of the federal government’s SAVE tool has flagged roughly 900 voter records of deceased individuals who were previously not included in the death file that the Secretary of State’s Office received from the state health department.

Through public outreach, Secretary Jacobsen announced a partnership with the Trump Administration to provide free access to the SAVE tool to ensure voter roll accuracy and, for the first time in history, to verify the citizenship status of Montana’s voter registration list.

“Until now, Montana election officials have never had access to the SAVE tool, and in a few short weeks, we have already identified a large number of ineligible voter records,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “The SAVE tool is a valuable addition to our ongoing work to maintain up-to-date and accurate voter rolls in Montana.”

Under Secretary Jacobsen’s leadership, Montana has become a national leader in voter roll maintenance. Last year, Secretary Jacobsen proudly announced that Montana received the 2025 National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) Innovators Award for her “Death of a Loved One Initiative,” which partners with funeral homes to simplify the process for families to remove deceased loved ones from Montana’s voter rolls.

Now, Secretary Jacobsen’s partnership for free access to the SAVE tool has enabled election officials to identify deceased voters even more quickly, alleviating the burden on grieving families, while improving voter roll accuracy and reducing the number of undeliverable ballots.

“Our goal is for election officials to be able to update the voter rolls in real time, without bureaucracy getting in the way, and this partnership brings us closer to that goal,” said Secretary Jacobsen.

With the SAVE tool flagging additional voter records, election officials are now following up in several ways, including:

• Working with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), to begin verifying the names of the 900 deceased individuals to have the counties remove them from the voter rolls;
• Identifying opportunities to speed the receipt and sharing of this information with election officials in the future;
• Reviewing the voter status of the flagged voter records, including whether ballots were sent to those individuals and whether any had received voter credit for participating in an election where a ballot was counted.

Election officials are also continuing to verify citizenship status, including the 23 voter records previously flagged by the SAVE tool.

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HELENA, Mont. – Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced a new statewide campaign to recruit poll workers for the 2026 Primary and General Elections, continuing her efforts to support county election offices and strengthen Montana’s election workforce. The campaign builds on the Secretary of State’s online poll worker recruitment tool, which connects interested Montanans directly with their local election administrators.

Secretary Jacobsen’s 2026 initiative again highlights Montana’s partnership with Vet the Vote, a nonpartisan national organization that encourages veterans and military family members to volunteer as poll workers. Through this partnership, the Secretary is asking Montana veterans to continue their tradition of service by helping ensure safe, secure, and efficient elections in communities across the state.

“Poll workers are the backbone of our elections in Montana,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “I’m incredibly grateful for the thousands of Montanans who have stepped up to serve in past elections, and I’m calling on new volunteers, including our veterans and their families, to join them in 2026.”

Secretary Jacobsen urges all eligible Montanans to consider serving, noting that fully staffed polling places help keep lines short, assist voters, and safeguard the accurate, timely reporting of election results.

Montanans interested in serving as poll workers can learn more and sign up through the Secretary of State’s poll worker recruitment tool at https://votemt.gov/poll-worker-application/.

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HELENA, Mont. — For the second time this year, Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen has reported to Montana’s top federal prosecutor the names of voters registered in multiple states who allegedly cast ballots in both, which is an election crime. After receiving notice of suspected double voting, the Secretary of State’s Office referred the case to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

“Every eligible vote is a precious right that should never be canceled by a counterfeit vote,” said Secretary Jacobsen.

In 2023, the Montana Legislature passed a law strengthening Montana’s election procedures to prevent voting in both Montana and in other states. The law was enjoined by an Obama-appointed federal court judge, making it more difficult for the state to guard against double voting. The Montana Constitution requires the prevention of abuses of the electoral system.

“Although the courts have attempted to restrict the ability to protect common-sense election laws, I remain committed that double voting in Montana will not be tolerated,” said Secretary Jacobsen.

Recently, Montana media published an article about close and tied races in the state. Clearly, a single illegal vote can undermine the voting power of all eligible voters in a local election. According to the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), over the past 30 years, more than 1,200 elections have resulted in ties, while over 450 elections were decided by just one vote.