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 What if your voter registration is out of date, or has a mistake, and you are challenged at the polls — what can you do?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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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State employees will see big changes to their health care coverage next year. That includes increases to monthly premiums, deductibles and what workers pay per visit to the doctor’s office. The state needs to come up with roughly $70 million to cover state workers’ health care through next year.
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State health officials last week told lawmakers the rollout of work requirements for people on Medicaid is going well. Montana soft-launched Medicaid work requirements July 1, months ahead of the federal deadline to do so.
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Montana lawmakers have voted to subpoena the Secretary of State. They’re ordering a record of what private voter information the office has sent to the federal government.
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The governor has filled a utility commission seat left vacant after sexual harassment claims against the former commissioner. A judge has ruled that the Montana Republican Party’s new bylaws infringe on state primary elections. The Meta settlement over social media harms to minors will send at least $89 million to Montana.
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NorthWestern Energy must go back to the drawing board after state regulators said their 20-year proposal for providing electricity is “deficient.” The utility company has 30 days with an optional extension to return an edited plan.
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Since 2001, American Prairie has worked to create the largest wildlife reserve in the lower 48. That plan includes grazing 900 head of bison on state and federal lands. But legal seesawing between land managers, government agencies and American Prairie has put that plan into limbo. MTPR’s Victoria Traxler sat down with the Billings Gazette Outdoors Editor Brett French to learn where things currently stand for American Prairie bison, and what may come next.