Citizen Involvement

If you're planning to vote for the first time, congratulations! You'll be exercising a right that is critical to the success of our democratic form of government. You'll be helping to choose the people who make and uphold the laws we all live by.

Step One: Register to vote

Plan ahead and register to vote!

Step Two: Learn about the candidates and the issues

There are many opportunities to learn about the candidates and the issues in an upcoming election. For months before Election Day, newspapers and TV will be filled with stories about the election and with advertisements for the candidates. Your mailbox will be filled with brochures and flyers outlining the candidates' views. Some candidates will hold debates, which you can attend in person or watch on TV, and some local candidates may even come to your door to introduce themselves.

A few weeks before every statewide general election, your local election office will mail out an official voter-information pamphlet, published by the Secretary of State. This will provide balanced information about the issues that will be on the ballot.

Take advantage of all these opportunities to become an informed voter. Once you've decided how you want to vote, you may want to write down your choices and take this list to the polls with you on Election Day.

Step Three: Go to the polls on Election Day.

Your voter registration card lists the location of your neighborhood polling place. If you've misplaced your card, call your local election administrator to find out where to vote. Or watch the newspaper in the days leading up to the election for a list and/or map of polling places.

If you're unable to drive to the polls yourself, you have several options:

• You can vote by absentee ballot;
  
  
• You can catch a ride with a friend or neighbor;
  
  
• Or you can get a ride from one of numerous organizations and agencies that offer voter transportation. Call your local election office to find out who is providing transportation in your community.

When you enter your polling place, an election judge will greet you, ask your name, request identification, and confirm that you are registered to vote in that precinct. Then he or she will ask you to sign next to your name in the precinct register. A second election judge will give you your ballot and explain how to mark it and what to do with it once you've finished voting.

Then you'll enter a private voting booth to mark your ballot. There's no need to hurry. Take time to think about your choices, and be sure to follow the directions for marking your ballot. If you forget the instructions given to you by the election judge, you'll find them posted in the voting booth or printed in the materials given to you with your ballot.

Step Four: Mark your ballot.

Two different types of ballot are used in Montana. Depending on where you live, you may vote on either of the following:

• A hand-counted paper ballot.
  
  
• An optical-scan ballot.

To find out what your county uses as a voting method, see the page on Voting Technologies.

If you feel uncertain about how to use an optical-scan ballot, you can go to your county election office any time before the election and get a lesson in how to vote using such a device.

You are not required to vote in every race or on every issue listed on the ballot. On the other hand, your vote in a given race will be disqualified if you mark more than one choice. Be sure you turn your ballot over and check to see whether any races are printed on the back.

If you damage a ballot or want to change the way you've voted, take the spoiled ballot to an election judge and exchange it for a new one. Don't try to erase; with machine-counted ballots especially, erasures may result in your ballot being disqualified.

If you have a physical disability or are unable to read or write, you may ask an election judge to help you mark your ballot for you. Or you can bring a friend or relative who, with the permission of the election judge, can go into the voting booth with you and help you vote. You can also vote on an AutoMARK voting system which is equipped for people with disabilities.

Step Five: Submit your ballot.

When you've finished marking your ballot, fold it or place it in the secrecy folder given to you with the ballot so that your choices are concealed. Then hand your ballot to the appropriate election judge.

Now pat yourself on the back and go about the rest of your day knowing that you've done your civic duty.

To learn more about elections, check out:

• Ballot Issues
• Past Voter Turnout
• Political Parties
• Term Limits
• Voting Technologies

How to Vote by Absentee Ballot

Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot, even if he or she is capable of voting in person on Election Day.

To vote absentee, you must first apply for an absentee ballot. Applications are available during a period beginning 75 days before Election Day and ending at noon on the day before the election. You may pick up an application at your local election office or at the Secretary of State's Office, or you may call either office and ask to have an application mailed to you. You can also download a free application from this website.  Mail it or drop it off at your local election office.

Once you've submitted your application, your absentee ballot will be mailed to you, unless you indicate on the application that you would prefer to have someone pick it up for you. Once you've marked your ballot, return it to your local election office before the polls close on Election Day in the secrecy envelope that is provided.

The fastest way to vote absentee is to go directly to your local election office in the county courthouse, where you can apply for a ballot and vote all at the same time at least 30 days before the election.

For more information about voting absentee, call your local election office.

Or contact our Election Bureau at (406) 444-4732 or soselection@mt.gov.

Or call the toll-free number below.