Montana 2026 elections

Contests on the board in Montana

The general-election contests the Ledger tracks in Montana, each with the raters' current call, the newest public polling and the money reported.

Candidate profiles from Montana

MT-SEN · Montana

Kurt Alme

Twice Montana’s U.S. Attorney, state revenue and budget director, first-time candidate; Republican nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat in 2026.

Read Kurt Alme's recordThe race

Key dates and deadlines

Read from the Montana Secretary of State on Sep 17, 2026. The authority's own page, linked beside each date, is the final word — confirm it before you act.

• Voter registration deadline (regular registration)October 5, 2026 — close of regular voter registration (30 days before the election); the Secretary of State's voter calendar lists the close at 5:00 p.m. After that date, Montana offers late registration in person, including on Election Day (see the late-registration item). sosmt.gov
• Registration forms sent by mail (postmarked by / received by)Postmarked by October 5, 2026 and received by October 8, 2026 (within 3 days): accepted for regular registration. Completed applications are returned to the county election administrator. sosmt.gov
• Late registration and Election Day registrationLate registration begins October 6, 2026; late registrants must obtain their ballot in person from the location designated by the county election administrator. It closes at noon on Monday, November 2, 2026, and reopens on Election Day, November 3, 2026, until 8:00 p.m. — the Secretary of State's calendar states that, due to a court order, registration is available until 8:00 p.m. sosmt.gov
• Absentee ballots mailedOctober 9, 2026 — date by which ballots are mailed to voters on the absentee list (25 days before the election). Ballots for absent military and overseas voters must be sent by September 18, 2026. sosmt.gov
• In-person absentee voting begins (Montana's early voting)October 5, 2026 — date by which absentee ballots must be available for voting in person (30 days before Election Day). The Secretary of State's calendar describes this as in-person absentee voting. sosmt.gov
• Last time to get an absentee ballot in person before Election DayNoon on Monday, November 2, 2026: polling place voters who want a one-time absentee ballot must apply before noon on the day before the election and receive the ballot in person. sosmt.gov
• Absentee ballot application deadline (received by)Noon on Monday, November 2, 2026 (the day before the election): the application must be received by the county election office by then. It may be mailed or dropped off; a voter who drops it off can pick up the ballot at the same time. sosmt.gov
• Absentee ballot return deadline (received by)Must be received at the election office or a polling place by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026. This is a received-by deadline, not a postmark deadline. sosmt.gov
• Election DayTuesday, November 3, 2026 — general election. sosmt.gov
• Poll hours7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polling places with fewer than 400 registered voters (registered minus absentee) may open after 7:00 a.m. but must open no later than noon. sosmt.gov

Official voting tools

These links go to the state's own tools. The Ledger does not collect registrations or ballots.

Rules to know

• What to bring

  For in-person voting, the Secretary of State says an election worker will request a physical copy of a photo ID that is current, valid and readable: a valid driver's license or REAL ID, Montana state identification card, military ID, tribal photo ID, U.S. passport, Montana concealed carry permit, or Montana University System/NAIA photo ID. Voters without one of those may bring their photo ID plus a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government check, or government document that shows their name and current address. Voters who cannot produce any of these are directed to their county election official about the provisional voting process; the state's 2026 calendar sets 5:00 p.m. on November 4, 2026 as the deadline for a provisional voter to provide the required identification. Read from: votemt.gov

• Voting by mail (absentee ballot)

  Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot. Fill out the Application for Absentee Ballot and mail it or drop it off at the county election office; it must be received by noon the day before the election. Ballots are mailed 25 days before Election Day. The voter to whom the ballot was issued must sign the affirmation on the return envelope, and the ballot must be received at the election office or a polling place by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. The state's Vote Montana site also tells voters to sign, date and write their birth year on the return envelope, and to mail the ballot at least 1 week before Election Day. Read from: sosmt.gov

• Voting early in person

  Montana's early voting takes the form of in-person absentee voting at the county election office. A voter who drops off the absentee ballot application there can pick up the ballot at the same time, if ballots are available; the state's 2026 calendar requires absentee ballots to be available for voting in person by October 5, 2026. Voters who change their registration during the late registration period must pick up the ballot from the election office. Read from: sosmt.gov

• Late and Election Day registration

  After regular registration closes, eligible Montanans may still register or update their registration in person during late registration. For the final days, the Secretary of State lists Friday, October 30, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Monday, November 2, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.; and Election Day, November 3, when registration ends at 8 p.m. The state says a court order bars it from implementing Senate Bill 490, which provided registration and voting on the Saturday before the election (October 31); those Saturday hours appear struck through on the state's page. Read from: votemt.gov

• Check your registration and track your ballot

  The Secretary of State's Voter Portal (voterportal.mt.gov) looks up a voter's information by first name, last name and date of birth. The state links to it for checking registration status, polling place information, sample ballots and absentee ballot tracking. Voters who have not received their absentee ballot are told to contact their county elections office. Read from: sosmt.gov

• Fixing a rejected absentee ballot

  The state's Ballot Rejection Notice covers an absentee or mail ballot whose signature envelope lacks the required signature or birth year, or whose signature does not appear to match the voter's record. The voter completes the form, encloses a copy of identification, and returns it by mail, fax, email or in person no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day. If it is not received by then, the ballot is handled as a provisional ballot, which the voter may resolve no later than 5 p.m. the day after Election Day. Read from: sosmt.gov

On the statewide ballot

Offices on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot, per the Montana Secretary of State:

U.S. Senate · Montana Supreme Court Justice #4

Questions and answers