2026 Midterms State GuideMontana
Hold on to your huckleberries and Stetsons.
Polls are closed
Polls are closed in Montana, and results aren’t finalized yet.
Ballots are still being counted, close races can take days to call, and no result is official until it’s certified.
A prayer for Montana
Maker of mountain and plain, You are with Your people in every peak and valley. Thank You for the privilege Montanans have to cast their vote for the good of their community. Sharpen their attention, help them see the ballot with Your eyes, and help them vote with both conviction and humility.
Read the whole prayerUpdated
Hi! It’s me, Shadrach. Apparently, I’m your civic guide today. If you’ve been complaining about how things are going (and I’ve heard you... the walls are thin), this guide will help you feel informed and able to vote in this year’s midterms. Now, hold on to your huckleberries and Stetsons, and let’s get into it.
Montana at a glance
Montana votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for U.S. Senate, both U.S. House seats and three statewide ballot measures.
- Election Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Voter registration
- Oct. 5: Voter registration deadline (by mail, postmarked, or in person); in-person absentee voting begins
- U.S. Senate
- 5 candidates
- U.S. House
- 2 seats
- Statewide ballot measures
- 3
What happens next
The counting continues
Election-night numbers are unofficial. Mail, provisional, and military ballots are still being counted, so close races can take days to call.
Officials double-check the count
Local election officials review the ballots and the tallies (the canvass). A very close race can go to a recount.
Montana certifies the results
Results become official once Montana certifies them, usually a few weeks after Election Day.
Winners take office
The new Congress takes office in early January. Governors and other state officials take office on dates set by state law, most of them in January too.
Important dates
- Jun. 2Primaries This date has passed.
- Oct. 5Voter registration deadline (by mail, postmarked, or in person); in-person absentee voting begins This date has passed.
- Oct. 6 to Nov. 3Late registration window. Register/vote at county election offices (except Saturday, Oct. 31). This date has passed.
- Oct. 9Absentee ballots begin mailing to registered absentee voters This date has passed.
- Nov. 2 (noon)Deadline to request an absentee ballot (in-person pickup) This date has passed.
- Nov. 3Election Day. Most polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; same-day registration available; absentee ballots must be in by 8 p.m. This date has passed.
What’s at stake
Montana has its first open Senate race in decades, and polls show Kurt Alme safely ahead. An April 2026 poll from Montana Free Press-Eagleton found that Montanans are struggling to afford healthcare, fuel, and groceries. 62% of registered voters said they had some difficulty affording healthcare and medical costs. 61% said they had difficulty affording gas and other transportation costs (up from 34% in December), and 44% said they struggle to afford bills.
Who’s on your ballot
Tap a race to see the candidates.
- Get to know ’em
Alani BankheadDemocrat - Get to know ’em
Kurt AlmeRepublican - Get to know ’emKyle AustinLibertarian
- Get to know ’em
Seth BodnarIndependent - Jami WoodmanNonpartisan
Write-in
All U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for election every two years. Find your district here.
- Shadrach’s big picture
Montanans will elect two candidates to represent them in the U.S. House. Republicans are expected to hold both of those seats.
- Open seats
MT-1: incumbent, Rep. Ryan Zinke (R), is retiring.
- Competitive districts
Neither Montana district is considered competitive (MT-1 is likely Republican, and MT-2 is solidly Republican). Candidates in both parties applied to run in both districts, so neither district is guaranteed to either party, but no Montana seat has gone to a Democrat since 1994.
Statewide ballot measures
3 to read before you go. Tap one to open it.
Montana already elects judges without party labels next to their names, but that rule lives in ordinary state law, which the legislature can rewrite. This amendment would move it into the constitution, so judicial races would stay nonpartisan unless voters themselves changed it back.
Voting yessupports moving the rule that judicial races are nonpartisan into the constitution, so only voters (not the legislature) could change itVoting noopposes the amendment, leaving the rule that judicial races are nonpartisan in ordinary state law, where the legislature can change itThis amendment would add the right to put measures on the ballot to Montana's Declaration of Rights. In practice, it would require ballot language to be neutral, require courts to settle legal challenges within 90 days, guarantee a reasonable window to gather signatures, and prevent signatures from being thrown out over technical paperwork errors.
Voting yessupports adding the right to put measures on the ballot to Montana's Declaration of Rights, requiring neutral ballot language, court rulings on legal challenges within 90 days, a reasonable window to gather signatures, and protection against signatures being thrown out over technical paperwork errorsVoting noopposes the amendment, leaving the ballot measure process under ordinary state law, where the legislature can change these rulesThis is a statutory initiative (a law, not a constitutional change). It would bar corporations, nonprofits, and similar entities chartered in Montana from giving money or anything of value to candidates, political parties, or ballot measure campaigns. An entity that did would forfeit corporate privileges like limited liability unless it stopped political spending and certified it would comply going forward.
Voting yessupports barring corporations, nonprofits, and similar entities chartered in Montana from giving money or anything of value to candidates, political parties, or ballot measure campaigns, on pain of losing corporate privileges like limited liabilityVoting noopposes the measure, keeping current rules, so these entities do not risk losing corporate privileges like limited liability over political giving
Also on the ballot
Other races Montana voters will decide.
- State Senate
- State House
- Other state executive
- State Supreme Court
- Local ballot measures
Whose job is it?
Ten things government does. Tap the office that does each one.
Whose job is it to…
1 of 10
Declare a state of emergency after a hurricane or flood?
Pass it on
Know someone voting in Montana?
Send them the guide. It takes one tap, and it saves them an evening of arguing in a group chat.
A prayer for Montana
Maker of mountain and plain, You are with Your people in every peak and valley. Thank You for the privilege Montanans have to cast their vote for the good of their community. Sharpen their attention, help them see the ballot with Your eyes, and help them vote with both conviction and humility.
May candidates campaign with integrity. Remind them that the office is not a mere prize to be won, but a profound responsibility to steward carefully. If they win, surround them with wise counsel and guide them toward decisions that serve their constituents. For those who lose, bring comfort and give them grace for their actions.
Draw near to Montanans tempted toward anxiety, anger, or despair. Open doors for conversations about the good news that Your sovereignty is not suspended on election night, and Your good purposes aren’t undone by any election cycle.
Amen.