Back to SOS News & Media Center >>

HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen says Montana voters are receiving the state’s new “I Voted” sticker at polling places across the Treasure State as they cast their ballots in today’s 2026 Primary Election. The redesigned sticker, unveiled earlier this year, features patriotic red, white, and blue colors, and a bold outline of Montana’s iconic mountain landscape, giving voters a customized way to proudly display their participation in the 2026 election.

“It’s exciting to see Montanans walk out of their polling places wearing the new ‘I Voted’ sticker,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “This fresh design celebrates our great state – our mountains, our patriotism, and our shared commitment to safe, secure, transparent, and accessible elections. I’m grateful to the Montana Election Team and voters in all 56 counties who are bringing it to life at the polls today.”

Secretary Jacobsen and the Montana Election Team encourage voters to share a picture with their new sticker after casting their ballots and to remind friends and family to make a plan to vote or return their absentee ballots in person before the polls close at 8 p.m. Voters can find election information and resources, including polling place locations and other important Election Day reminders, by visiting VoteMT.gov.

“The Montana Election Team is honored to serve our voters, and election officials in every county are standing by throughout the day to answer questions, provide assistance, and ensure every eligible Montanan has the opportunity for their voice to be heard,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “Thanks for voting, Montana!”

HELENA, Mont. — “Election Day voting is underway.”

That’s the morning message from Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen as polls began opening at 7 a.m. across the state for the 2026 Primary Election.

“Polling places are welcoming voters across the Treasure State as Montanans continue to make their voices heard at the ballot box,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “The Montana Election Team is standing by, honored and eager to serve!”

Montana voters can find their registration information, including their polling place, by visiting the Secretary of State’s https://voterportal.mt.gov/ website or by visiting https://sosmt.gov/elections/polling-location-satellite-office-locations/. While many polling places open at 7 a.m., smaller polling places with fewer than 400 registered polling place voters must open no later than noon. Polls will close at 8 p.m.

Secretary Jacobsen and the Montana Election Team also remind voters to bring their photo ID to the polling place. Examples and information are available at https://votemt.gov/. Election officials also remind absentee voters to return their voted absentee ballot to election officials by 8 p.m.  

Back to SOS News & Media Center >>

HELENA, Mont. — Montana’s county election administrators have submitted independent and minor party candidate petitions to the Secretary of State’s Office in accordance with Montana law. The Secretary of State’s Office will now conduct its review for the necessary statutory requirements.

Six candidates filed with the Secretary of State’s Office as independent candidates during Montana’s candidate filing period. Montana law outlines the signature requirements that each candidate must receive to appear on November’s General Election ballot (13-10-502, MCA). Thursday, August 20^th, is the deadline for the November General Election ballot to be certified.

Tuesday, May 26^th, was the deadline for the independent candidates to submit signed petitions to the county election administrators. Election officials processed and verified signatures received by the deadline before submitting them to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Unofficial signature updates that counties had processed for the six filed candidates as of Monday evening are below:

• Seth Bodnar, U.S. Senate (13,327 required)
  • 21,284 accepted; 8,680 rejected
• Kimberly Persico, 1^st Congressional (6,742 required)
  • 563 accepted; 156 rejected
• Michael Eisenhauer, 2^nd Congressional (7,274 required)
  • 8,044 accepted; 4,792 rejected
• Jason Wilson, House District 37 (187 Required)
  • No signatures currently reported
• Shayne Morgan, House District 76 (198 required)
  • 199 accepted; 39 rejected
• Kelley Durbin-Williams, House District 90 (215 Required)
  • No signatures currently reported

The attached report is unofficial. It includes totals that the county election officials have processed and entered in the system. These totals do not represent what the Secretary of State’s Office has received, reviewed, tabulated, or certified. The certified totals may differ from what is reflected.

Back to SOS News & Media Center >>

HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana Election Team are reminding Montana voters of important information ahead of Tuesday’s June 2^nd Primary Election.

“Montana has reached the eve of another exciting Election Day, and we want Montana voters to be informed before they head to the polls to cast their votes,” said Secretary Jacobsen.

Important reminders and information include:

• Polls across the state will open beginning at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and close at 8 p.m. Note: Polling places with fewer than 400 in-person voters must open no later than noon.
• Montanans can visit https://sosmt.gov/elections/polling-location-satellite-office-locations/ to find polling places from county election offices.
• Montanans can confirm their voter registration information and find their sample ballot at https://voterportal.mt.gov/.
• Election workers will ask voters for photo identification at the polls. More information is available at https://votemt.gov/voter-identification/.
• Absentee ballots can be hand-delivered to county election offices or polling places and must be received by election officials by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• Absentee voters can track the status of their absentee ballot at https://voterportal.mt.gov/.
• Election results will be available at https://votemt.gov/ beginning at 8 p.m. Results are unofficial until canvassed.

“Election officials statewide are honored to serve and look forward to Election Night to share the results with Montanans,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “Thanks for voting, Montana!”

Back to SOS News & Media Center >>

HELENA, Mont. — Tuesday evening was the deadline for independent and minor party candidates to submit signed petitions to county election administrators across Montana, triggering the process for election officials to verify signatures and certify the total numbers to determine if candidates may appear on the November General Election ballot.

During Montana’s candidate filing period, six candidates filed as independent candidates – one for U.S. Senate, two for U.S. Representative, and three for state representative legislative seats. Montana law outlines the signature requirements that each candidate must receive (13-10-502, MCA).

County election officials will continue verifying signatures received by Tuesday’s deadline and must submit the candidate petitions to the Secretary of State’s Office by June 1^st, which is when the Secretary of State’s Office will conduct its review for the necessary statutory requirements.

The deadline for the November General Election ballot to be certified is Thursday, August 20.

Unofficial signature updates that counties had processed for the six filed candidates as of Tuesday’s deadline are below:

• Seth Bodnar, U.S. Senate (13,327 required)
  • 11,359 accepted; 4,196 rejected

• Kimberly Persico, 1^st Congressional (6,742 required)
  • 562 accepted; 156 rejected

• Michael Eisenhauer, 2^nd Congressional (7,274 required)
  • 7,010 accepted; 4,210 rejected

• Jason Wilson, House District 37 (187 Required)
  • No signatures currently reported

• Shayne Morgan, House District 76 (198 required)
  • 199 accepted; 39 rejected

• Kelley Durbin-Williams, House District 90 (215 Required)
  • No signatures currently reported

The attached report is unofficial. It includes totals that the county election officials have processed and entered in the system. These totals do not represent what the Secretary of State’s Office has received, reviewed, tabulated, or certified. The certified totals may differ from what is reflected.

Back to SOS News & Media Center >>

HELENA, Mont. — With one week until Montana’s 2026 Primary Election, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana Election Team are reminding voters of important information to ensure their voices are heard.

“As of Tuesday morning, nearly 125,000 absentee ballots had been received by county election officials across the state,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “For those absentee voters wishing to mail their ballot to their county election office, USPS officials recommend mailing them no later than today, Tuesday, May 26, to ensure they are received by your county election office by the deadline of 8 p.m. on Election Day (June 2^nd). Voters can also return their ballot in person directly to their local election officials.”

“The Montana Election Team reminds voters to vote only one party’s ballot during the Primary Election, place that voted ballot in the secrecy envelope, then place the secrecy envelope containing the voted ballot in your return signature envelope,” Secretary Jacobsen continued. “Sign your name, add the date, and include your birth year on the return signature envelope.”

Election officials remind voters that they can track the status of their absentee ballot using the Secretary of State’s VoteMT.gov website. Voters tracking their absentee ballot will see the following under the “ballot status” category:

• SENT: The county election office issued and sent an absentee ballot.
• RECEIVED: The county election office received a voter’s returned absentee ballot.
• ACCEPTED: The county election office received and verified a voter’s returned absentee ballot, and it is ready for counting.
• REJECTED: The county election office received a voter’s returned absentee ballot, which may contain a missing and/or incorrect signature/birth year. Voters can easily resolve a rejected ballot by visiting https://votemt.gov/resolve-my-ballot/.

As of Tuesday morning, roughly one-quarter of one percent of the ballots issued were in a rejected status, and election officials statewide are contacting those voters to resolve potential missing or incorrect information and ensure their votes are counted.

“The Montana Election Team has done a fantastic job notifying voters of important election information through Public Service Announcements (PSAs), press releases, social media posts, direct voter outreach, and more,” said Secretary Jacobsen, whose office has led a months-long, thorough voter outreach campaign.

Montana election officials are also warning voters of the increased potential for long lines on Election Day after a court order blocked implementation of Senate Bill 490. Voters wishing to avoid potentially long lines on Election Day may register, update their registration, and cast their vote in person through their local county election office ahead of Election Day. Montanans voting at the polling place on Election Day are reminded that election workers will request photo identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or Tribal ID. Detailed voter ID information is available at VoteMT.gov.

“Election officials are proud to provide our Montana voters with an efficient process that allows for a safe, secure, accessible, and transparent election,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “We’re honored to serve and look forward to Election Night to share the results with Montanans!”

Back to SOS News & Media Center >>

HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen continued her work on the Land Board by standing for Montana hunters and shooters. During Monday’s monthly meeting, Secretary Jacobsen asked her fellow Land Board members to consider a shooting range in western Montana.

Secretary Jacobsen brought a motion for the Land Board to discuss the placement of a shooting range near Lincoln, Montana, to provide an established shooting facility serving Montanans in the area. The all-Republican Land Board unanimously approved her motion to place the topic on the June Land Board agenda.

Implementing an official shooting facility in the area would provide a safe, suitable place for hunter sight-in, youth firearms safety and hunter education, as well as the potential for shooting competitions.

“I was fortunate, as I’m sure all of you were, to be taught firearm safety and education in middle school,” said Secretary Jacobsen, who recalled fond memories of learning to shoot at C.R. Anderson Middle School in Helena. “I believe this is a valuable tool that should be available to youth across the state.”

Secretary Jacobsen’s motion has the support of the Montana Shooting Sports Association (MSSA) and the Lincoln Sportsmen’s Club (LSC). According to MSSA officials, the proposal also has the support of the county commissioners and sheriffs, including those in Lewis and Clark County.

“On behalf of Montana Shooting Sports Association members across the state, we appreciate Secretary Jacobsen bringing this motion for an additional shooting opportunity near Lincoln,” said MSSA President Gary Marbut. “Local shooters and hunters deserve a dedicated space to sight in their rifles for hunting season, to practice for competitions, and to educate Montana youth on the proper safety and handling of firearms. Having safe and suitable places for people to shoot will also help reduce conflicts on nearby public and private lands.”

Back to SOS News & Media Center >>

HELENA, Mont. — Election officials across the state are warning Montana voters of potentially long lines on Election Day, June 2^nd, after a District Court issued a preliminary injunction against Senate Bill 490, barring election officials from implementing it.

The bill, which was signed into law over a year ago, amended Montana’s late registration procedures, opening a late registration period from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Saturday before Election Day (Saturday, May 30^th) and allowing federal voter registration activities through noon on Election Day.

Montana media outlets noted that supporters of the law stated that “long Election Day registration lines around the state have put strain on elections staff and voters alike,” (MTN News), and that the law was a compromise that allows Election Day registration while minimizing the impact of long lines.

During the 2024 General Election, some counties reported lines lasting until midnight and beyond, including one county where the last voter left around 4 a.m. Montana media outlets reported that voters waited in line for 8-plus hours (MTPR), which was one of the main areas SB 490 was enacted to alleviate.

For months, the Montana Election Team has been conducting statewide outreach and education for voters that registration and voting would be available on Saturday, May 30^th. With the unexpected change occurring while the Primary Election is already underway, election officials regret any confusion it may have caused voters about the availability of expanded registration.

Voters wishing to avoid potentially long lines on Election Day may register, update their registration, and cast their vote in person through their local county election office. Contact information for county election offices is available online at https://sosmt.gov/elections/election-administrators-contact-list/.

Back to SOS News & Media Center >>

HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen is reminding Montana’s absentee voters that they can track their ballot and access important election resources by visiting the Secretary of State’s voter resources website, VoteMT.gov.

“Last week, county election officials sent more than 500,000 absentee ballots to voters across the state, and roughly 13,000 have already been voted and returned for the June 2^nd Primary Election,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “Montana’s absentee voters can use VoteMT.gov to track the status of their absentee ballot from the time it is sent to when it is received and accepted by their local election office.”

Voters tracking their absentee ballot will see the following under the “ballot status” category:

• SENT: The county election office issued and sent an absentee ballot
• RECEIVED: The county election office received a voter’s returned absentee ballot
• ACCEPTED: The county election office received and verified a voter’s returned absentee ballot, and it will be ready for counting
• REJECTED: The county election office received a voter’s returned absentee ballot, which may contain a missing and/or incorrect signature/birth year. Voters can easily resolve a rejected ballot by visiting https://votemt.gov/resolve-my-ballot/.

Together with the entire Montana Election Team, consisting of election officials from all 56 Montana counties, Secretary Jacobsen is also reminding Montana absentee voters to vote only one party’s ballot during the Primary Election cycle, to seal their ballot in the secrecy envelope, and to sign, date, and include their birth year on the return signature envelope.

Secretary Jacobsen noted that Montana’s 2026 Primary Election Absentee Ballot Count report is available on the Secretary of State’s website at https://sosmt.gov/elections/absentee-ballot-count/. The report will be updated by county election officials as Montanans return their voted ballots.