MONTANA

3 Electoral Votes

Population  (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, MT Secretary of State) Total Resident Population, July 1, 2019                        1,068,778 Total Registration, Nov. 2020                                            752,538 Montana has: 56 counties,126 incorporated cities and towns. Largest counties: Yellowstone, Missoula, Gallatin, Flathead, Cascade. Largest cities: Billings, Missoula, Great Falls.  Government Governor: Steve Bullock (D) term limited in 2020. State Legislature: Montana Legislature   House: 100 seats  Senate: 50 seats Local: Counties, Cities and Towns, Native American   NACO U.S. House: 1R - Greg Gianforte (R) U.S. Senate: Steve Daines (R) seeking re-election in 2020, Jon Tester (D) re-elected in 2018.  2020 Governor: Gov. Steve Bullock (D) was term-limited. U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte (R)/attorney Kristen Juras defeated Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney (D)/House Minority Leader Casey Schreiner and Lyman Bishop (L)/John Nesper by 328 548 votes (54.43%) to 250,860 (41.56%) and 24,179 (4.01%).  Gianforte, the richest member of the House, ran for governor in 2016 and lost to Bullock (+). U.S. Senate: In a high-profile nationally targeted race Sen. Steve Daines (R), seeking a second term, defeated outgoing Gov. Steve Bullock (D), by 333,174 votes (55.01%) to 272,463 (44.99%). U.S. House: Gianforte, first elected in a May 2017 special election, ran for Governor.  Matt Rosendale (R), the 2018 nominee for U.S. Senate against Sen. Tester, defeated former state Rep. Kathleen Williams (D), who was the 2018 nominee, by 339,169 votes (56.39%) to 262,340 (43.61%). State Legislature: 25 of 50 Senate seats and all 100 House seats were up.  The balance in the Senate went from 30R,20D to 31R,19D and the House from 57R,43D to 67R,33D. Ballot Measures: Voters approved all five ballot measures. >  Constitutional amendments C-46 and C-47 addressed signature requirements for constitutional amendments and initiatives.  Constitutional Initiative No. 118 would allow the legislature or the people by initiative to set the legal age for marijuana use.  Legislative referendum LR-130 would revise concealed carry laws.  Initiative No. 190 would legalize marijuana and establish a tax.  118 and 190 are paired measures (New Approach Montana  |  Wrong for Montana).

Montana Online Secretary of State MT Democratic Party MT Republican Party MT Libertarian Party Green Party of MT Constitution Party of MT Billings Gazette Newspapers TV, Radio Montana Free Press Big Sky Political Analysis Montana Post Politics1-MT Ballotpedia-MT Big Sky Country

General Election -- Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Close of regular registration - Oct. 5, 2020 Beginning of late registration - Oct. 6, 2020 "Late registration can only be done at the county election administrator’s office or the location designated by the election administrator." On Aug. 6, 2020 Gov. Bullock signed a directive allowing counties to expand voting by mail and early voting.  Republicans filed a lawsuit on Sept. 2 arguing the "rushed and unconstitutional directive...invites fraud, manipulation and administrative chaos" and charging Bullock had exceeded his authority.  True the Vote filed a simlar lawsuit on Sept. 2.  A U.S. district judge ruled against the RNC on Sept. 30, but True the Vote has sought to take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court. (+). Absentee ballots: Sent:  668,942 Received:  604,042

Official Results >     Biden/Harris (Dem.) 244,786 (40.55) Jorgensen/Cohen (Lib.) 15,252 (2.53) +Trump/Pence (Rep.) 343,602 (56.92) Total........603,640 Total turnout: 612,075. Ballot Access - Independent or minor party candidates for president or vice president must submit a petition with signatures of 5,000 electors which must be certified to the secretary of state no later than 76 days before the general election.  MCA 13-10-504.

Overview: Competitive races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and governor contributed to high turnout.  Trump-Pence won with a plurality of 98,816 votes (16.37 percentage points), carrying 49 counties to seven for Biden-Harris. +  Republicans achieved wins up and down the ballot, winning the governorship, holding the U.S. Senate and U.S. House seats and strengthening their control in the legislature.     There was one visit.  On Sept. 14 Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a Montana GOP rally at the Big Yellow Barn in Belgrade (Bozeman area). >  He had also planned to do a luncheon fundraiser in Bozeman, but canceled that appearance on Sept. 11 after reports the hosts, Caryn and Michael Borland, were QAnon backers. BALLOT [PDF]

Presidential Preference Primary -- Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Registered Voters: 696,261.   Votes Cast: 382,050...   Turnout: 54.87%.

Democrats Biden 111,706 (74%), Sanders 22,033 (15%), Warren 11,984 (8%), No Pref. 4,245 (3%), Total 149,968. 25 Delegates: 13 District, 4 At-Large, 2 PLEO, 6 Unpledged.

Republicans Trump 200,174 (94%), No Pref. 13,135 (6%),Total 213,309.

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General Election Winners in Montana, 1992-2016

1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016
Clinton 37.63%	Dole 44.11%	Bush 58.44%	Bush 59.07%	McCain 49.53%	Romney 55.36%	Trump 56.16%

General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Voting Eligible Population*: 773,147. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 62.6%. Absentees sent:  314,329 Absentees rec'd: 289,920 (92.23%) Total Votes: 491,966 Absentees received as a percentage of total  votes 58.93%.

Official Results >   Obama/Biden (Dem.) 201,839 (41.71) Johnson/Gray (Lib). 14,165 (2.93) +Romney/Ryan (Rep.) 267,928 (55.36) Total........483,932 total votes cast 491,966

2012 Overview The Romney/Ryan ticket won with a plurality of 66,089 votes (13.65 percentage points), carrying 48 counties to eight for Obama/Biden (Big Horn, Blaine, Deer Lodge, Glacier, Hill, Missoula, Roosevelt and Silver Bow).  None of the Democratic principals visited during the fall campaign; Mitt Romney attended a fundraiser in Hamilton on July 11; Jim Gray attended a meet and greet in Corvallis on Aug. 20 and did rallies in Bozeman on Oct. 31 and Dillon and Missoula on Nov. 1. Obama  |  (Romney) BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voting Eligible Population*: 741,538. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 66.3%. Total Registration: 668,085.

Official Results > Paul/Peroutka (Const.) 10,638 (2.17) Obama/Biden (Dem.) 231,667 (47.27) Nader/Gonzalez (Ind.) 3,686 (0.75) Barr/Root (Lib.) 1,355 (0.28) +McCain/Palin (Rep.) 242,763 (49.53) Total........490,109 497,599 total votes cast.

2008 Overview In the face of an intense effort from the Obama campaign, the McCain/Palin ticket largely ignored Montana and still won the state by a thin margin of 11,096 votes (2.26 percentage points).  McCain/Palin carried 43 counties to 13 for Obama/Biden.  General Election Details Obama/Allies  |  McCain/Allies  |  Nader

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Voting Eligible Population*: 699,114. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 64.4%. Total Registration:  638,474.

Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.) 1,764 (0.39) Kerry/Edwards (Dem.) 173,710 (38.57) Cobb/LaMarche (Grn.) 996 (0.22) Nader/Sanchirico (Ind.) 6,168 (1.37) Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.) 1,733 (0.38) +Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 266,063 (59.07) Total........450,434   456,096 total votes cast 649 polling places ... 856 precincts

2004 Overview The Bush-Cheney ticket won with a plurality of 93,353 votes (20.50 percentage points), carrying 51 of the 56 counties.  Kerry won in Missoula, Silver Bow, Glacier, Big Horn and Roosevelt Counties.  In terms of campaign activity, Kerry's younger sister Diana visited the state July and mid-October.  Nader campaigned at the University of Montana in Missoula on Sept. 5 and Cobb appeared in Great Falls on Aug. 10.  First Lady Laura Bush vacationed at Glacier Park in July.  Also of note, former Montana Governor Marc Racicot chaired the Bush campaign.

General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Voting Eligible Population*: 667,525. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 61.6%. Total Registration: 698,260.

Browne/Olivier (Lib.)  1,718  (0.42) Buchanan/Foster (Ref.)  5,697 (1.39) +Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 240,178 (58.44) Gore/Lieberman (Dem.) 137,126 (33.37) Hagelin/Goldhaber (NLP) 675 (0.16) Nader/LaDuke (Grn.) 24,437 (5.95) Phillips/Frazier (Const.) 1,155  (0.28) Forrest C. Laible (w/in) 11 -  Total........410,997 Total votes cast: 417,916

2000 Overview Montana, a very close state with Perot on the ballot in 1992 and 1996, went to Bush by a wide margin in 2000.  The Bush-Cheney ticket won with a plurality of  103,052 votes (25.07 percentage points), carrying all but 4 of the state's 56 counties.  The state did see a number of closely fought races, however.  In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Conrad Burns (R) defeated Brian Schweitzer (D) 51% to 47%.  In the U.S. House race, Dennis Rehberg (R) defeated Nancy Keenan (D) 51% to 46%.  In the governor's race, Judy Martz and Karl Ohs (R) defeated Mark O'Keefe and Carol Williams (D) 51% to 47%.

1992 and 1996 General Elections

	1992 Clinton (Dem.)........154,507 (37.63) Bush (Rep.)...........144,207 (35.12) Perot (Ind.).............107,225  (26.11) Others (2+2 w/ins).....4,672 (1.14) Total........410,611	1996 Dole (Rep.).............179,652 (44.11) Clinton (Dem.)........167,992 (41.23) Perot (Ref.)..............55,229 (13.56) Others (2+4 w/ins)......4,458 (1.09) Total........407,261
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