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November 3 Federal General Election

A federal general election is held every even-numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Ballots will mail to absentee voters and polling places will be open. 

IMPORTANT DATES:

  • Friday, Sept. 18 - UOCAVA (military and oversees) ballots mail

  • Monday, Oct. 5 - regular voter registration closes at 5 p.m. 

  • Tuesday, Oct. 6 - late registration begins at 8 a.m. (voters must appear in person to register to vote or make changes to existing voter registration)

  • Friday, Oct. 9 - absentee ballots mail

  • Monday, Nov. 2 - temporary close of late registration, noon to 5 p.m. (no registrations will be processed during this time)

  • Tuesday, Nov. 3 - Election Day

    • Voter registration is available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Elections Center

    • Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

  • Learn more about this election by exploring our frequently asked questions.

Absentee Ballot Drop Locations

  • USPS mail – place your ballot in the mail before Tuesday, Oct. 27. Return postage is pre-paid.
  • Ballot drop box, open 24/7, outside of the Elections Center Building B north entrance, door 2B, at 140 N. Russell St. Due to traffic congestion in the parking lot, it is not recommended to use this drop on Election Day. The McCormick Park drive-thru ballot drop box will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. as an alternative option.
  • Monday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
    • McCormick Park (600 Cregg Lane)
  • Election Day, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 
    • All polling places
    • Drive-thru ballot drop locations:
      • South Russell St. (between the YMCA and the Fairgrounds)
      • McCormick Park (600 Cregg Lane)
      • Hellgate Elementary baseball field parking lot (north of the school on 2385 Flynn Lane)

Office Hours

After regular registration has closed, voters must appear in person at the Missoula County Elections Office – Building B, 140 N. Russell St., to update their information.

Late registration will be available during the following times:

  • 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, October 26 through Friday, October 30
  • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 31
  • 8 a.m. to noon, Monday, November 2

On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, our office will be open and voter registration will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Voter Services Events

The Missoula County Elections Office staff will be hosting voter services events in the community leading up to Election Day.


At the events listed below, voters can work directly with our staff to register to vote, update their registration, request a replacement ballot, drop off their absentee ballot or cast their ballot. 

University of Montana - James E. Todd - Room 203

  • Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • 32 Campus Dr, Missoula

Gray Wolf Peak Casino Lobby

  • Thursday, Oct. 29, from 2 to 7 p.m. 
  • Saturday, Oct. 31, from 12 to 4 p.m. 
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3 (Election Day) from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 
  • 20750 US-93, Evaro

Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the down arrow on the far right to expand the answers.

After regular registration has closed, voters must appear in person at the Missoula County Elections Office – Building B, 140 N. Russell St., to update their information.

Late registration will be available during the following times:

  • 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 6, through Friday, October 23.
  • 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, October 26 through Friday, October 30
  • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 31
  • 8 a.m. to noon, Monday, November 2

On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, our office will be open and voter registration will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

The absentee ballots mailed Friday, Oct. 9. If absentee (mail) voters do not receive a ballot within a week, they can verify their registration online at MyVoterPageMT.com or contact us.

Following a recent court decision, mail voters are no longer required to write their birth year on their signature envelope. However, the Elections Office recommends voters still include this in case the law changes again before Nov. 3. The Elections Office will contact any voter whose ballot has been rejected for any reason. 

Ballot Issues:

The Montana Secretary of State's Voter Information Pamphlet provides information on the ballot issues. It is available online at https://sosmt.gov/elections/vip/. Registered voters may have also received a physical copy in the mail.

Candidate contact information is available on the following pages: 

 

  • USPS mail – Put it in the mail before Tuesday, Oct. 27. Return postage is pre-paid.
  • Ballot drop box, open 24/7, outside of the Elections Center Building B north entrance, door 2B, at 140 N. Russell St. **Due to traffic congestion in the parking lot, it is not recommended to use this drop on Election Day. The McCormick Park drive-thru ballot drop box will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. as an alternative option.**

  • Monday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    • McCormick Park - 600 Cregg Lane
    • Drive-thru ballot drop box
  • Election Day, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

    • All polling places
    • Drive-thru ballot drop locations: 
      • South Russell Street between the YMCA and the Fairgrounds
      • McCormick Park - 600 Cregg Lane
      • Hellgate Elementary baseball field parking lot north of the school - 2385 Flynn Lane

On Election Day, the following drive-thru ballot drops will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

  • South Russell Street between the YMCA and the Fairgrounds
  • McCormick Park - 600 Cregg Lane
  • Hellgate Elementary baseball field parking lot north of the school - 2385 Flynn Lane

Additionally, absentee (mail) ballots can be dropped of at any of our 20 polling place locations. 

The 20 polling place locations listed below will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Visit MyVoterPageMT.com to view your voter registration and confirm your polling place location. 

  • Bonner School - 9045 Highway 200 E, Bonner 59823
  • Clinton Elementary School - 20397 E Mullan Rd, Clinton 59825
  • Former Cold Springs School - 2625 Briggs St, Missoula 59803
  • East Missoula Community Center - 314 Montana Ave, Missoula 59802
  • Frenchtown Fire Station - 16875 Marion, Frenchtown 59834
  • Front Step Community Land Trust – 1500 Burns Street, Missoula 59802
  • Gray Wolf Peak Casino - 20750 US-93, Missoula 59808
  • Hellgate Elementary School - 2385 Flynn Ln, Missoula 59808
  • Lifelong Learning Center - 310 S Curtis, Missoula 59801
  • Lolo School - 5305 Farm Ln, Lolo 59847
  • MCPS Admin Building - 909 South Ave. West, Missoula 59801
  • Missoula Library - 455 E Main, Missoula 59802 
  • Orchard Homes Country Life Club– 2537 S. Third St. West, Missoula, MT 59804
  • Petty Creek Fire Station - 995 Terrace View Dr, Alberton 59820
  • Potomac Greenough Community Center - 29827 Potomac Rd, Bonner 59823
  • Seeley Lake Elementary School - 200 School Lane, Seeley Lake 59868
  • Spring Meadows Fire Station - 9350 Ladyslipper, Missoula 59808
  • Swan Valley School - 6423 Highway 83 N, Condon 59826
  • Target Range School - 4095 South Ave West, Missoula 59804
  • James E. Todd Building - University of Montana - 32 Campus Dr, Missoula 59812

All polling places will have an absentee (mail) ballot drop box.

To view your sample ballots, visit MyVoterPageMT.com.

To view all sample ballots for the election, click this link. 

Physical copies of the sample ballots are also available at the Missoula County Elections Office at 140 N. Russell St. Building B. 

The Missoula County Elections Office encourages voters to educate themselves on the processes the County follows to conduct accurate, accessible and secure elections and invites members of the public and media to tour these processes leading up to and after Election Day.

The following tours will take place in the Elections Center, located at 140 N. Russell St. in Missoula:

  • 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27: Election equipment testing. Elections staff will test the tabulators used to count ballots to ensure they are working properly ahead of Election Day. They will also test the ADA-compliant ExpressVote ballot marking devices to ensure they are operating correctly for drop-off locations on Election Day.
  • 10:45 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29: Ballot processing. Attendees will observe staff and volunteers following the multi-step process used to verify signatures, process ballots and ensure that each ballot cast is counted.
  • 8:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2: Ballot tabulation. Attendees will observe staff conducting the final test of equipment, as well as the counting and retention process for voted ballots.
  • 2:45 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9: Provisional ballot count. Attendees will observe staff counting any accepted provisional ballots for the election.
  • 8:45 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12: Post-election audit. Attendees will observe the process used to confirm that equipment worked correctly during the election. This is an audit of any ballot counting machines used during the election. It is completed by comparing a hand-count of ballots to the results from the equipment.
  • 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17: Election canvass. State law requires the Elections Office and three county elected officials to verify the election with a canvass. The canvass ensures the number of ballots voted are the number of ballots counted and that no ballots are missing or counted more than once. Media and public are invited to observe the canvass with the Missoula County commissioners and elections staff.

Late registration is the 29 days before an election where any changes to voter registration must take place in-person at the Elections Center.

Late registration is available during the following dates/times: 

  • October 6 through 23: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
  • October 26 through 30: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday
  • Saturday, Oct. 31: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Monday, Nov. 2: 8 a.m. to noon

Election Day registration will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. 

Yes, Election Day registration will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Did you know?
Missoula County offers pre-paid postage on all mail ballots.

Polling Place Locations

Visit MyVoterPageMT.com to view your voter registration and confirm your polling place location. 

The following polling place locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.

  • Bonner School
    9045 Highway 200 E, Bonner 59823
  • Clinton Elementary School
    20397 E Mullan Rd, Clinton 59825
  • Former Cold Springs School
    2625 Briggs St, Missoula 59803
  • East Missoula Community Center
    314 Montana Ave, Missoula 59802
  • Frenchtown Fire Station
    16875 Marion, Frenchtown 59834
  • Front Step Community Land Trust
    1500 Burns Street, Missoula 59802
  • Gray Wolf Peak Casino
    20750 US-93, Missoula 59808
  • Hellgate Elementary School
    2385 Flynn Ln, Missoula 59808
  • Lifelong Learning Center
    310 S Curtis, Missoula 59801
  • Lolo School
    5305 Farm Ln, Lolo 59847
  • MCPS Admin Building
    909 South Ave. West, Missoula 59801
  • Missoula Library
    455 E Main, Missoula 59802 
  • Orchard Homes Country Life Club
    2537 S. Third St. West, Missoula 59804
  • Petty Creek Fire Station
    995 Terrace View Dr, Alberton 59820
  • Potomac Greenough Community Center
    29827 Potomac Rd, Bonner 59823
  • Seeley Lake Elementary School
    200 School Lane, Seeley Lake 59868
  • Spring Meadows Fire Station
    9350 Ladyslipper Lane, Missoula 59808
  • Swan Valley School
    6423 Highway 83 N, Condon 59826
  • Target Range School
    4095 South Ave West, Missoula 59804
  • James E. Todd Building - U of M
    Room #203, 32 Campus Dr, Missoula 59812
 
Did you know?
85% of active voters in Missoula County vote by mail.