Voting
The 2022 midterm elections are fast approaching and we’re here to answer your questions about voting in Montana.
Do you know how to vote, where to vote, and what you might need to have when you show up to the polls? What if your voter registration is out of date, or has a mistake, and you are challenged at the polls — what can you do? What do certain ballot measures mean for the great state of Montana?
_
MTPR is part of a new community-powered journalism project to answer those questions, and any other ones you may have about how to exercise your right to vote in the upcoming midterms. Our mission is to provide you with the information you need to vote — we’re not concerned about how you vote, or who you vote for, we just want to make sure you are armed with the information you need to vote.
-
Primary election night is June 4 and one of the most decisive races to watch will be for Montana’s second Congressional district–known as the Eastern House seat. 12 candidates are trying to win the seat and the primary race will determine which Republican and Democrat will square off in November.
-
The presumed frontrunners in the race are Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Gianforte, a former tech entrepreneur from Bozeman, and Democrat Ryan Busse, a political newcomer and former firearms industry executive from Kalispell.We’ve also got Libertarian Kaiser Lieb, who runs a comedy production company, Republican Rep. Tanner Smith, a legislator and construction business owner from Lakeside, and Democrat Jim Hunt, an attorney in Helena.
-
Five names will appear on primary ballots - two Republicans, one Democrat and two Libertarians. Although one of the Libertarians has unofficially dropped out and is not campaigning.
-
There are three candidates in all, two Republicans, Austin Knudsen and Logan Olsen, and one Democrat, Ben Alke. That’s setting up a Republican primary.
-
Three candidates from three parties are running to be the next Montana Secretary of State. They won’t face competition in the primary and are the assumed candidates for the general election as well. They include Republican incumbent Christi Jacobsen, and challengers Jesse James Mullen, a Democrat, and Libertarian John Lamb.
-
There are two open seats on Montana’s highest court up for election in 2024. MTPR’s Corin Cates-Carney and Shaylee Ragar have a rundown of the candidates and their motivations for running.
-
As part of MTPR’s primary election coverage, reporters are profiling every statewide office. Corin Cates-Carney spoke with John Hooks about the candidates for State Auditor.
-
State lawmakers have overridden Gov. Greg Gianforte’s veto of a bill that will pay county jails for holding inmates awaiting space at the state psychiatric hospital.
-
President Donald Trump is nominating a Billings attorney and state legislator to a federal bench in Montana.
-
Forward Montana and the Montana Public Interest Research Group say new voting regulations unduly burden young voters. The groups have successfully challenged similar legislation in recent years.
-
Montana policymakers made housing affordability a top issue at the statehouse, but mobile home park residents feel left out. After three legislative sessions of asking for more tenant protections, there’s been little change to the law. Residents are facing rent hikes and insecurity as parks are sold, often to out-of-state buyers.
-
Montana’s largest electric utility has temporarily pulled back on increasing customer bills. NorthWestern Energy raised customer rates by 17% in May but has now agreed to apply a smaller increase for at least the next few billing cycles.
-
The Montana State Hospital lost its federal certification in 2022 due to patient deaths. That decertification means the state can’t bill Medicaid or Medicare for patient services – a funding loss that has cost the state millions of dollars. State health officials plan to apply for federal recertification next year.