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Votes cast on Yellowstone County voting systems are protected from interference, and there are numerous ballot reconciliation processes that are undertaken to ensure that your vote is protected.
Before every election, extensive pre-testing of the voting system occurs. After each federal election, a hand count audit is conducted with a random sample of 10% of voting systems to determine that the paper ballots match the figures reported by the automatic tabulators.
Voting systems are stand-alone systems – they are not connected to the internet at any time, ensuring that vote tallies cannot be manipulated by bad actors. In addition, security seals are essential components of the system.
Before mail and absentee ballots are accepted for counting, election staff verify the signature on each affirmation envelope by comparing the signature on the envelope to the voter signature on file. If the signature on the affirmation envelope does not match the signature on file, election staff contact the voter and the ballot is not accepted for counting until it is rectified.
All paper ballots are accounted for by election procedures and reconciled at the end of each election prior to the official certification. Voting processes are checked and double-checked by trained election judges – your friends, neighbors, and community members. To learn more about becoming an election judge, please visit https://yellowstonecountymt.gov/elections/GetInvolved.asp.
Voters are invited to observe the testing, tabulating, and auditing processes -- interested persons should contact the Elections Department to get more information.
Do you have more questions about election myths versus elections facts? Visit the VotingInMontana.org website for more information compiled by Montana’s election experts, including the Montana Secretary of State, Commissioner of Political Practices, county election administrators, county elected officials, and legislators from both sides of the aisles.
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To vote in Yellowstone County, you must:
- Be registered to vote
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Be 18 years of age or older on or before election day
- Be a Montana and Yellowstone County resident for at least 30 days before the next election (unless you have changed residence from a different county within Montana, subject to the requirements of 13-2-514)
Montana law provides that certain individuals cannot vote. Specifically:
- A person convicted of a felony does not have the right to vote while the person is serving a sentence in a penal institution.
- A person adjudicated to be of unsound mind does not have the right to vote unless the person has been restored to capacity as provided by law.
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You may use this [https://yellowstonecountymt.gov/elections/forms/RegistrationCard.pdf] form to register to vote.** Do not forget to provide an original signature on the application! After printing out the form and signing it, you may return a scanned copy to elections@yellowstonecountymt.gov
If you need to request a hard copy of a voter registration form, please call the Elections Office at (406)256-2740, or stop by the Elections Office at the County Courthouse, 217 N. 27th Street, Room 101 in Billings.
** If you do not have a Montana Driver’s license or the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, please contact the Elections office for assistance on alternative documents that may be presented to register to vote.
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You can look up your registration information at https://voterportal.mt.gov/, including whether you are a registered voter, whether your registration is active or inactive*, your registration address, whether you vote by absentee and, in an ongoing election in which you are eligible to vote, you can see a sample ballot and track the status of your ballot:
Please note that the lookup system requires an exact data match to your voter registration record.
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This voter registration form may be used as a change of address or a change of name form. Do not forget to provide an original signature on the application! After printing out the form and signing it, you may return a scanned copy to elections@yellowstonecountymt.gov.
If you need to request a hard copy of a voter registration form, please call the Elections Office at (406)256-2740, or stop by the Elections Office at the County Courthouse, 217 N. 27th Street, Room 101 in Billings.
If you move, you should notify the Elections Office as soon as possible. If the Elections Office receives notice at least thirty days before an election, it must complete the change of address before the election.
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You may be put into an inactive status in the registration system for the following reasons:
- You did not respond to certain confirmation mailings sent to you by the county election office; or
- You had a mail ballot returned to the county election office as undeliverable and you did not respond to a confirmation mailing sent to you by the county election office.
The easiest way for a voter who is inactive to become an active voter is to notify the county election office of any changes in their registration information (or that their registration information is current).
Please note that a voter who is on the inactive list will not automatically be mailed a ballot in an all-mail election (most local elections, including city elections and school district elections, are usually conducted as all mail-ballot elections).
You can check the status (whether you are active or inactive) of your voter registration at https://voterportal.mt.gov/.
This voter registration form may be used to confirm your current information or make updates and move you to the active list.
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You may use this application for an absentee ballot to request to be placed on the absentee ballot list for all elections OR to request an absentee ballot in a specific election OR to request to be taken off the absentee ballot list.
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Not all elections are polling place elections! Smaller elections, such as special district elections, school district elections, and municipal elections may be held by mail ballot. If a jurisdiction has elected to conduct an election by mail ballot, all voters, regardless of whether or not they elect to be a polling place voter, vote by mail ballot. If you are not comfortable sending your ballot back by mail, you can always drop your ballot off in person at the Election Office, located in the County Courthouse at 217 N. 27th Street in Billings. Please do not delay in returning your ballot, whether by mail or in person! You may check the status of your ballot here.
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Montana does not mandate that private employers provide time off to vote. However, in Yellowstone County on every election day, extended voting hours are available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The state general election day (in November of even-numbered years) is a legal holiday for employees of local governments. Employees of the State of Montana may choose to use their floating holiday on election day.
Voters may also choose to receive an absentee ballot in one or more elections.
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Once you register, you are permanently registered unless:
- You are placed in an inactive status (voters may be placed into an inactive status after failing to respond to certain confirmation notices) and you subsequently do not vote in two consecutive federal general elections. After becoming an inactive voter and not voting in two subsequent federal general elections, a voter’s registration is cancelled. Under those circumstances, you must re-register in order to vote;
- You submit a written request for cancellation;
- A certificate of death is filed for the elector, the elector is reported deceased by the Department of Public Health and Human Services to the county, or the death is reported through a newspaper obituary;
- A court establishes that the elector is of unsound mind;
- incarceration in a penal institution for a felony conviction is legally established. Your voting rights are returned once you are released regardless of previous felony conviction, but you must complete a new registration form;
- You fail to meet any of the voter requirements required by law.
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You can use this form to cancel your registration. You must provide an original signature on the application. After printing out the form and signing it, you may return a scanned copy to elections@yellowstonecountymt.gov. If you need to request a hard copy of a cancellation form, please call the Elections Office at (406)256-2740, or stop by the Elections Office at the County Courthouse, 217 N. 27th Street, Room 101 in Billings.
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To remove a person from the Yellowstone County voter rolls you will need to provide a copy of a death certificate or a published obituary that includes the individual’s birthdate. You can email scanned documents to: elections@yellowstonecountymt.gov or mail documents to:
Yellowstone County Election Office
P.O. Box 35002
Billings, MT 59107-5002
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The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) created special provisions to make registering to vote, obtaining, returning, and tracking absentee ballots easier for members of the armed forces or certain overseas U.S. citizens while absent from their Montana voting residence. UOCAVA voters must affirm their eligibility under UOCAVA laws before using the system, under penalty of perjury. UOCAVA voters are most commonly identified as one of the following:
- Member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marines on active duty
- Spouse or dependent of a member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marines on active duty
- U.S. citizen residing outside the United States
- Other individuals meeting definitions of "absent uniformed services voter" and "overseas voter" under Montana law (13-21-102, MCA).
Ballots are available for these voters 45 days prior to federal elections. The Secretary of State's Electronic Absentee System seamlessly registers and issues an electronic ballot for eligible UOCAVA voters. Overseas voters should use this tool if they are not currently registered as UOCAVA and wish to receive a ballot.
Please see the Montana Secretary of State’s guidance for additional information at https://sosmt.gov/elections/military-overseas/#questions-more-information for more information.
Click Here for a Military / Overseas Voter Application
More information on voting as a Military/Overseas/Federal Overseas Voter:
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There are a variety of ways that Montana law ensures voting is accessible for every voter.
- Accessible Voting Equipment: Any voter may request to use accessible voting equipment. In Yellowstone County, the ExpressVote® is available to assist in marking a ballot. An ExpressVote® terminal uses touch screen technology to produce a paper record for tabulation, and it provides privacy and accessibility to all voters, including those who are blind, vision-impaired, or have a disability or condition that makes it difficult or impossible to mark a ballot. They are a universal voting system designed for use by all with an accessible keypad equipped with braille and the ability to use rocker panel and Sip-and-Puff devices. The ExpressVote® can dictate the ballot audibly to headphones, it can change the contrast on the screen, and it can increase the font size of the ballot text. As a compliant ADA voting solution, the ExpressVote® allows both standing and seated voters the ability to mark and cast a ballot. You do not have to be disabled to use an ExpressVote® machine! If you are interested in using an ExpressVote® machine, please contact the Election Office or, in a polling place election, request the use of one from an election judge.
- Ballot Marking Assistance: A disabled voter may designate an agent to assist the voter in marking the voter’s ballot. The voter may also request assistance by a team of two election judges. An agent may not be voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union.
- Curbside Voting: A voter who is unable to enter a polling location because of a disability may request that a ballot be delivered to the voter outside the building where the polling place is located.
- The Electronic Ballot Request System is available for state and federal elections. It allows qualified Montana voters the ability to apply for an absentee ballot, receive it, and mark it electronically. For more information on the EBRS, please see the Secretary of State’s information here.
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Visit the Election Judge section of our website for more information about the duties, pay, qualifications, and application.
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In Montana, most candidates get on the ballot by filing a declaration for nomination and an oath of candidacy.
Congressional offices, statewide offices, state district offices, Public Service Commissioner voted for in more than one county, a district court judge, or a member of the Legislature file with the Secretary of State.
County, municipal, precinct, or local district offices to be voted for in only one county should file with their county election administrator.
Candidates for the position of school trustees should file their candidacy paperwork with the relevant school clerk.
Candidate ballot access is also dependent on the filing of certain campaign finance paperwork with the office of the Commissioner of Political Practices. Please contact the Commissioner’s office at (406)444-2942 or email cpphelp@mt.gov with any questions.
Please visit our candidate filing page for more information.
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There is no party registration in Montana. Montana is an open primary state – that means you are not asked to choose a party when registering to vote. If you are registered to vote in Montana, you will be given all qualifying party ballots in a primary election and you will choose, privately, which party ballot you wish to vote and return. You may cast votes on only one party ballot in a primary election.
You can find a list of Montana’s qualified parties at https://sosmt.gov/elections/parties.
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No, you do not need to participate in a party primary to vote in a general election.
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Montana law allows victims of partner or family member assault, stalking, custodial interference, or other offenses involving bodily harm or threat of bodily harm to the individual to restrict the use of their residential address on publicly available lists of electors. To restrict the use of the elector’s address, the individual must provide a criminal judgment, information and judgment, or affidavit of a county attorney clearly indicating the conviction and the identity of the victim.
Likewise, Montana law allows individuals who are protected by a temporary restraining order or injunction issued by a by a judge or magistrate to restrict the use of their residential address on publicly available lists of electors. To restrict the use of the elector’s residential address, the individual must provide a copy of the temporary restraining order or injunction.
If you are a victim of a family member assault, stalking, custodial interference, or other offense involving bodily harm or threat of bodily harm or you are protected by a temporary restraining order or injunction, please contact the Elections Office for more information on how to ensure your residential address can be protected from public distribution.
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Jurors are drawn from lists of licensed drivers and holders of Montana identification cards as well as from voter registration rolls. Do not give up your right to vote in the hope that you will avoid jury duty. Chances are, if you drive a car, you will still be called. Besides, serving on a jury is a privilege, one that permits you to personally stand up for all Americans’ right to a trial by a jury of their peers.
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Polling locations in Yellowstone County are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polling locations are open for regularly-scheduled federal, state, and county elections. A federal general election is held every even-numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Presidential elections are combined with congressional, statewide, state district, and county elections.
Other elections such as special district elections, school elections, and municipal elections may be conducted solely by mail ballot as determined by local officials. If the election is conducted by mail ballot, all voters receive their ballots in the mail, even if you are not enrolled on the absentee ballot list.
If you are unsure about whether you need to appear at a polling place to vote, please visit the current election page to find out if polling places are open, contact the Election Office at (406)256-2740, or stop by the Elections Office at the County Courthouse, 217 N. 27th Street, Room 101 in Billings.
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You should receive a voter confirmation card from the Elections Office when you register to vote that tells you where to vote in a federal, state, or county election if you are a polling place voter.
PLEASE NOTE: Because of the decennial redistricting process, your polling places may have changed. To ensure that you are ready to vote in the next polling place election, you can look up your registration information at https://voterportal.mt.gov/, including your assigned polling place, if one is active for the election, or check the current election page to verify that polling places are open for the current election. You may also contact the Election Office at (406)256-2740 to verify whether polling places are open for the current election.
Please note that the lookup system requires an exact data match to your voter registration record.
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