How To Register to Vote Online and In Person In Bozeman, Montana

Are you registered to vote for the upcoming general election on November 6, 2012? Don't let the countless hours of political ads heard on the radio, TV, and YouTube be in vein! Get out there and submit your knowledgeable vote! Here we explain how to get registered, how to check your registration status, how to check your polling location and how to get a sneak peak at a sample ballot!

FIRST: Check If You Are Registered in Montana

To save you time, first check your registration status and make sure it's correct. This will also tell you your polling location, your house district number and senate district number. Here you can also see a sample ballot for the Gallatin County. No excuses for the ballot being confusing on election day!

SECOND: Get Registered

You have two ways to register here in the Gallatin County. You can download and print off the registration form and mail it in by October 9, 2012 (must be done 30 days prior to election on November 6, 2012.) Or you can go to the Election Department in the Gallatin County Courthouse located at 311 West Main in Room 210. This can be done all the way up to election day.

To get registered online download a voter registration form here, fill it out, sign it, and send it to the below address.

If you want to vote absentee, you can download the Annual Absontee List Application here, fill it out, sign it, and send it to the below address.

Gallatin County Election Department

311 West Main - Room 210

Bozeman, MT 59715

Are you curious if you are eligible to vote? Below are the requirements to vote in the Gallatin Valley

TO VOTE IN GALLATIN COUNTY, YOU MUST:

Be registered as required by law.
Be 18 years old or older on or before the next election (November 6, 2012).
Be a citizen of the United States.
Have lived in Gallatin County, MT for at least 30 days.
Not be a convicted felon serving a sentence in a penal institution.
Not have been judged in a court of law to be of unsound mind.

THIRD: Who Will You Be Voting For On November 6th?

On November 6, 2012, we will be voting for Federal, State, and County elected officials and issues. View the Gallatin County Sample Ballot Here. See a list of what you'll be voting for below.

Officials

Federal and State

United States President
United States Senator
United States Representative
State Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Secretary of State
Attorney General
State Auditor
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Public Service Commissioner for District 3
Clerk of the Supreme Court
Supreme Court Justice #5
Supreme Court Justice #6
District Court Judge District 18 Department 1
District Court Judge District 18 Department 3
State Representative District 64

County

Clerk of District Court/ Public Administrator
County Commissioner District 3
County Sheriff/Coroner

Issues

City of Bozeman Trails & Parks General Obligation Bond - Vote Yes or No
Legislative Referendum No. 120 - Vote For or Against
Legislative Referendum No. 121 - Vote For or Against
Legislative Referendum No. 122 - Vote For or Against
Initiative Referendum No. 124 - Vote For or Against
Initiative No. 166 - Vote For or Against

FOURTH: Show Up and Vote!

Once registered, you will be notified of your polling location and the polls will be open from 7am to 8pm. Montana has one of the highest voter turnouts in the nation, but still only about 74% of registered voters submitted their ballots in the 2008 general election. It's not too difficult, and the general election does matter for us here in Montana. We aren't only choosing the President, we are voting for Congressmen, Judges, State Officials and County officials.

Any other questions? Visit the Frequently Asked Questions on our Secretary of State website.

Filed Under: Vote

Categories: Bozeman News, Newsletter