Montana has long had Election Day voter registration with an 8 p.m. deadline. A law passed in 2025 changed that cutoff to noon for federal elections, and requires counties to offer registration for eight hours the preceding Saturday.
A district court judge blocked that law, maintaining the prior deadline of 8 p.m. on Election Day for June’s primary. Late registration must be done in-person.
The Montana Federation of Public Employees, four tribes and three voter advocacy groups sued over the law, arguing it’ll disenfranchise voters. The court’s order blocks the law until the suit is resolved.
Montana’s Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen said she’s disappointed the order eliminates the Saturday voter registration option. She said “voters are now being forced into the chaos of Election Day, with long lines that can stretch to midnight and beyond.”
Absentee ballots are on their way to voters who’ve requested them. Voters can track the progress of their ballots online at voterportal.mt.gov. Another new law requiring voters to include their birth year with their signature is in effect.
