Voting by Mail: A "How to" Guide

Any registered voter in Montana can vote by mail, even if he or she is able to vote in person on Election Day. It's an easy process and one that saves time and hassles.

To vote by mail, electors (that's you!) must apply for an absentee ballot; applications are available from your local election office beginning 75 days before Election Day or you can download the application and send it in.

Military personnel serving outside the state or Montana residents living overseas may apply for an absentee ballot at any time.

You can also vote absentee at your local election office; absentee ballots will once again be available starting 45 days before a federal general election, 30 days before a federal primary election and 20 days before a municipal or local election, up until noon the day before Election Day.

Electors can deliver their absentee ballot application by mail or in person to the election official at your local election office, unless delivered by a guardian or family member. Third parties - friends, civic groups, candidates, political parties, etc. - can also once again deliver absentee ballot request forms to election administrators on behalf of electors. The forms must be addressed and delivered or mailed directly to the appropriate election administrator. The election administrator will mail your ballot to you, unless you indicate on the application that you want someone else to pick up the ballot for you. Follow the instructions with the mail ballot and deliver it by the time polls close on election day.

If a legally registered absentee voter’s signature on his or her affirmation envelope (which must be returned with each absentee ballot) matches the elector’s signature on the absentee ballot request application, no additional identification is required. Provisionally registered electors (those who did not provide sufficient identification when registering to vote) must still supply either the absentee/mail ballot elector identification form or some other acceptable form of identification when voting by mail.

Permanent Absentee Voting by Mail: Making voting easy and hard to forget!

Since 2005, electors have been able to register with the Secretary of State’s office to regularly and automatically receive an absentee ballot for elections. They can ask to be added to the permanent absentee voter list when complete an absentee ballot application or when they fill out the absentee ballot return envelope.

The elector can ask to be sent absentee ballots for all elections (including municipal), or for only federal elections. Electors on the permanent absentee voter list will be sent notices 75 days before each election asking them to confirm the mailing address to which the absentee ballot is to be sent; this form must be signed and returned before each election or no ballot will be sent to the elector and the person will be removed from the permanent absentee voter list.

The Secretary of State has developed a new application form, which is available through its web site.

You can also call your local election office or the Secretary of State's toll-free voter hotline: 1-888-884-VOTE (8683), or visit the Secretary of State's web site at sos.mt.gov.