Montanans will vote this fall on new mayors, city commissioners or councilors, and whether to increase taxes for public services.
Some cities, like Helena, Missoula and Kalispell, are holding primary elections on September 9. Residents will take final votes on public safety bonds and school funding levies, and whittle down candidate pools before the November 4 general election. Absentee ballots for those elections have been mailed.
Other cities, like Great Falls and Billings, skip the primary and hold just the November election. Mail-in ballots will be sent starting October 15.
Jennifer Olson with the Montana League of Cities and Towns, says local elections are more impactful than some realize.
“Typically we have low voter turnout during our local elections," Olson says, "which means that that one vote has more statistical weight on those decisions. So it’s really, really important."
Olson suggests that voters looking for more information on candidates and issues should contact their county elections administrators and check local news sources.
A new 2025 law taking effect October 1 will require voters to provide their birth year when voting by mail. Ballots will have updated affirmation language reflecting the change that voters must sign.
