Elections and Voting

ELECTIONS



Links to Montana Campaign Regulations

VOTING

ABSENTEE BALLOT CONFIRMATION LIST

If you received a letter asking for absentee address confirmation, we DID mail out a letter and form on January 2 to absentee voter who also filed a change of address with the post office.  We cannot change your address without voter confirmation.  So, if you want to remain an absentee voter, please return the form by January 30.  Voter who do not return the letter will be removed from the absentee list, and must either vote at the polls or fill out a new application for absentee voting.

NEW BALLOT DROP OFF PROCEDURE FOR THE 2020 ELECTION!

If you did not vote in the May 2019 school election, you may not be aware of a new procedure for dropping off ballots (i.e., not mailing you ballot back to the Clerk & Recorder).   Montana State law has new requirements for anyone returning a mail/absentee ballot that belongs to another individual.

Under Montana law (13-35-701, MCA) a ballot may only be returned by one of the following persons:

  • Acquaintance - an individual known by the voter;
  • Caregiver - an individual who provides medical or health care assistance to the voter in a residence, nursing care institution, hospice facility, assisted living center, assisted living home, residential care institution, adult day health care facility, or adult foster care home;
  •  Family Member - an individual who is related to the voter by blood, marriage, adoption, or legal guardianship;
  •  Household Member - an individual who resides at the same residence as the voter.

A person returning another person’s ballot MUST sign a register located at the ballot collection location, certifying that they meet one of the above requirements.  A person may only return up to six ballots per election.

Failure to comply with these requirements may result in a fine of $500 per ballot. 

This is a link to the form the person delivering the ballot (not the voter) must fill out. 

Anyone with questions, can contact the Clerk & Recorder’s Office by email (clerkrec@bsb.mt.gov), phone (406)-497-6344, or stop by the office (Room 208, Courthouse).

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Call, email, or stop by our office to see if you are registered to vote or if you are still on the Absentee ballot list.  You can also check by using the MVP, My Voter Page link in the right hand column.

Click on this link and fill out the Absentee List Application, return it to the Clerk & Recorder’s Office and we will add you. You may apply to vote absentee through June 1 (Primary election) or November 2 (General election) at noon. After that time, you must vote at the polls on June 2/November 3, 7:00 a.m. through 8:00 p.m. (Butte and Ramsay precincts; Rocker, Divide, and Melrose precinct polls are open from noon to 8:00 p.m.).

You can use the Change Absentee Ballot Status form to receive an absentee ballot for a specific election, add or remove your name from the annual absentee ballot list, designate someone to pickup your ballot, or request a ballot due to a health emergency.

You can track when we mail your ballot and when we receive and process your ballot with the MVP application which you can download to your phone or computer. This application is available in the right hand column of this page or by going to sos.mt.gov.

My Voter Page (MVP) – There’s an app for that! (Android or Apple)  If you would like to know your precinct, your voting status (active or inactive), the status of your absentee ballot, the last time you voted, download this app.  Search “my Voter page Montana”.  It is also available for your computer. 

Montana Voter Forms 

Register to Vote

Absentee Ballot Application

Federal Post Card Application for absent military and overseas citizens

Sample Ballot Form (check back after April 8, 2020)
(Ballots will vary based on districts, call or stop by the Clerk and Recorders office for more details)


Where to Vote

  • For primary (June) and general (November) elections, voters living in Rocker, Ramsay, Divide, or Melrose will vote in their respective city.
  • In Butte, voting takes place at the Civic Center.
  • Voters living outside of the city limits who are unsure what precinct they are in should check with the Clerk & Recorder’s Office to see where they should vote.
  • For information on obtaining an absentee ballot or precinct information, please call 406-497-6342.

Precincts

  • Precincts 1 through 22 vote at the Butte Civic Center
  • Precincts 19W, 26E and 26W vote in Rocker
  • Precincts 27N and 27S vote in Ramsay
  • Precinct 28 votes in Divide
  • Precinct 29 votes in Melrose

Voting Hours

  • Civic Center and Ramsay polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
  • Rocker, Divide, and Melrose polls open at noon and close at 8 p.m.

2020 INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

Each candidate for office must affirm when filing that they meet (or will meet within constitutional and statutory deadlines) the qualifications prescribed by the Constitution and laws of the United States, the State of Montana, and if filing for a local seat, the Charter of Butte-Silver Bow.

Candidates should refer to the Commissioner of Political Practice for candidate financial reporting information and forms to ensure their name appears on the ballot.  Candidates should note that ALL financial reporting is done online only, effective October 2019 (formerly forms C1, C1A, C3, C5, etc.).

CANDIDATE FILING FOR STATE OR LOCAL OFFICES

  •  Begins JANUARY 9, 7:30 a.m. (8:00 am all other days) 
  • Candidates running for LOCAL offices must file in person using the local Declaration for Candidacy form.  Fees must be paid at the time of filing.
  • Open offices are:  Assessor, Auditor, Chief Executive, City Judge, Clerk & Recorder, Clerk of District Courts, Council of Commissioner Districts 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 12, County Attorney, Coroner, Justice Court #2, Public Administrator, Sheriff, Superintendent of Schools, Treasurer, and 3 seats on the Soil Conservation District.
  • People wishing to file as Precinct Committee Person must file by March 9, 5:00.  Click this link to download the form.

Candidates filed (updated March 9, 4:43 p.m.)



OfficeCandidate
AssessorDan Fisher (Incumbent)
AuditorWendy Allen McGrath (Incumbent)
Chief ExecutiveBrendan McDonough
Dave Palmer (Incumbent)
J. P. Gallagher
Tom Cronnelly
Ted A. Deshner
City Court JudgeJerome McCarthy (Incumbent)
Clerk & RecorderLinda Sajor-Joyce
Keith Seyffarth
Rachel Roberts Boyd
Clerk of District CourtsThomas (Tom) E. Powers (Incumbent)
Commissioner, District 3
Hattie Thatcher
Mike Maesar
Commissioner, District 4Matt Moore
John Sorich (Incumbent)
Terry L. Schultz
Commissioner, District 5
Justin Fortune
Daniel P. Olsen (Incumbent)
Brian Wilkins
Commissioner, District 6
Mary Booth
James A. "Jim" Fisher (Incumbent)
Commissioner, District 8Norma Duffy
John O. Riordan
Commissioner, District 12
Dan Callahan (Incumbent)
CoronerLori Durkin (Incumbent)
County Attorney
Eileen Joyce (Incumbent)
Justice Court II JudgeJames F Kilmer (Incumbent)
Public AdministratorJanice Casarotto (Incumbent)
SheriffEd Lester (Incumbent)
Superintendent of SchoolsCathy F. Maloney (Incumbent)
TreasurerLori Baker-Patrick (Incumbent)

CANDIDATE FILING AND WITHDRAWAL CLOSING DATES

  • March 9; 5:00 p.m.

Helpful Resources

  1. Map: Butte-Silver Bow County Commissioner Districts
  2. Map: Butte-Silver Bow Urban Commissioner Districts
  3. Map: Butte-Silver Bow Urban Voter Precincts
  4. Map: Butte-Silver Bow County Voter Precincts
  5. Map: Butte-Silver Bow Voter Precincts and Commissioner Districts
  6. Address Ranges for Voting Precincts and Commissioner Districts as of March 10, 2017