Democratic Party primaries in Montana, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9[2]
- Early voting: Oct. 9 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
- Poll times: Polling places open between 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. and close at 8:00 p.m.
| Democratic Party primaries, 2018 |
 |
| Primary Date |
| June 5, 2018 |
| Federal elections |
| Democratic primary for U.S. Senate |
| Democratic primaries for U.S. House |
| State elections |
| Democratic primaries for Montana legislature |
| State party |
| Democratic Party of Montana |
| State political party revenue |
Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.
Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[3][4]
Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018.[5] Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.[6][7][8]
Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.[9]
This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Montana on June 5, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
U.S. House
Democrats
Withdrew
State elections
Montana Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Fifteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | S | S | R | R | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of Montana
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Montana's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.
| Democratic Party of Montana revenue, 2011 to 2016[18][19] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Federal account | State account(s) | Total |
| 2011 | $587,178.59 | $227,360.85 | $814,539.44 |
| 2012 | $4,058,814.13 | $1,569,854.86 | $5,628,668.99 |
| 2013 | $532,530.39 | $329,516.81 | $862,047.20 |
| 2014 | $1,818,366.19 | $771,703.20 | $2,590,069.39 |
| 2015 | $663,503.27 | $561,394.57 | $1,224,897.84 |
| 2016 | $4,406,445.25 | $2,878,057.39 | $7,284,502.64 |
Montana compared to other states
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Primary election scheduling
Montana was one of eight states to hold a primary election on June 5, 2018.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Montana utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[20][21]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Montana, polling place hours vary throughout the state. Most polling places open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m., although in areas with fewer than 400 registered voters, polling places may open as late as 12:00 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[22]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Montana, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Montana for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election. People serving a felony sentence in a penal institution and those who have been declared by a court to be of unsound mind are not eligible to vote.[23]
Citizens can register to vote in person by completing a registration application at their county election office. They can register by mailing the application to their county election administrator or submitting it when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or state ID. Citizens may also register to vote at their county election offices, certain designated locations, or at their designated polling location on Election Day.[23]
Automatic registration
Montana does not practice automatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Montana does not permit online voter registration.
Same-day registration
Montana allows same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
In order to register to vote in Montana, applicants must have lived in the state for at least 30 days prior to the election.
Verification of citizenship
Montana does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[24] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site My Voter Page, run by the Montana secretary of state’s office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Montana requires voters to present identification while voting.
Montana's voter identification requirements are outlined in Section 13-13-114 of Montana Code, as amended when SB 169 was signed into law on April 19, 2021. The law states, "Before an elector is permitted to receive a ballot or vote, the elector shall present to an election judge one of the following forms of identification showing the elector's name:"[25]
| “ |
(i) Montana driver's license, Montana state identification card issued pursuant to 61-12-501, military identification card, tribal photo identification card., United States passport, or Montana concealed carry permit; or |
” |
On March 27, 2024, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that the portion of SB 169 that precluded the use of student ID for voter identification was unconstitutional. See here for more.
Early voting
Montana permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Montana. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[27]
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by county election officials by noon the day prior to the election. A returned absentee ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day in order to be counted.[27]
See also
| Federal primaries in Montana | State primaries in Montana | Montana state party apparatus | Montana voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
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Footnotes
- ↑ If one missed the Oct. 9 deadline, he or she could have still voted in the election by registering in person at the county election office. Late registration was available until the close of polls on Election Day.
- ↑ If one missed the Oct. 9 deadline, he or she could have still voted in the election by registering in person at the county election office. Late registration was available until the close of polls on Election Day.
- ↑ CNN, "Why a 'federal jobs guarantee' is gaining steam with Democrats," April 26, 2018
- ↑ The Atlantic, "What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means," July 11, 2018
- ↑ CNBC, "Despite Ocasio-Cortez upset, Democratic primaries have not gone as far left as some argue," June 28, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "There Is a Revolution on the Left. Democrats Are Bracing." July 21, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "Democrats Are Moving Left. Don’t Panic," July 23, 2018
- ↑ Time, "How Democrats in Congress Responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Surprise Win," June 28, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "9 Democratic primaries to watch in 2018," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Roll Call, "Gianforte Gets First Challenger," August 8, 2017
- ↑ Great Falls Tribune, "Kier enters race for state's lone congressional seat," September 12, 2017
- ↑ Great Falls Tribune, "Pettinato enters race for lone congressional seat," October 30, 2017
- ↑ The Flathead Beacon, "Bozeman Democrat Kathleen Williams Announces US House Run", accessed October 30, 2017
- ↑ "News Talk KGVO", "Democrats Get a Fourth Candidate in Race For Gianforte’s Seat: Lynda Moss of Billings," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Missoulian, "Billings Democrat drops out of Montana House race, but will still be on the ballot," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Bozeman Daily Chronicle, "Bozeman Democrat announces U.S. House candidacy," October 12, 2017
- ↑ Billings Gazette, "Democrat Woods pulls out of U.S. House race," January 2, 2018
- ↑ Montana Commissioner of Political Practices, "Campaign Report Search," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Montana Republican State Central Committee Montana Democratic State Central Committee)
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Montana Republican State Central Committee and Montana Democratic Party)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 19, 2023
- ↑ Christi Jacobsen Montana Secretary of State,"Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 19, 2023
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Elections & Voter Services: 2022 Polling Places", accessed August 18, 2024
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Montana Secretary of State, “How to Register to Vote,” accessed August 18, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2021, "Section 13-13-114." accessed August 18, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Montana Secretary of State, “Frequently Asked Questions,” accessed April 19, 2023
