Register to vote in the general election
Every vote counts. I know it firsthand because I won my first election for public office by only 46 votes.
Such narrow margins of victory or defeat are common in Montana elections and they serve as a prime example of how your vote can be enough to change the entire outcome of an election.
Vote in the general election on Nov. 2
Montana’s next statewide election is on Nov. 2. Don’t miss this important opportunity to make a difference.
More than 74 percent of our state’s registered voters participated in the 2008 general election.
It was the largest voter turnout Montana had seen in 16 years, and it’s something we can all be proud of.
However, over a quarter of all registered voters in Montana didn’t cast a ballot in that election, and that’s something we all need to address.
As the state’s chief elections official, I urge every eligible Montanan to register and vote in the general election on Nov. 2.
Voting is one of the most important and fundamental rights we share as American citizens.
We all have a responsibly to take it seriously.
Be an informed voter
Before you vote in any election, it is important to know the facts.
Research the candidates and the issues.
Debate with your family and friends.
It is your civic duty to make an informed decision. Your vote is your voice.
The November ballot includes prominent statewide and local candidate races, three citizen proposals, and the constitutionally mandated question for a constitutional convention.
Detailed information about each ballot issue is provided in the 2010 Montana Voter Information Pamphlet, which was mailed this month to every household with at least one registered voter.
An electronic version can be found on the Secretary of State’s website at sos.mt.gov.
Additional copies and alternative formats including large-print, audio and Braille are also available.
Registration and voting options
If you haven’t registered to vote, you still have time.
Montana citizens have until the close of polls on election day to register and to vote at their county election office.
Voters who registered by the close of regular registration, which ended on Oct. 4, may choose to vote in person at their polling place, or by filling out and returning an absentee ballot before 8 p.m. on election day.
Those who register after the close of regular registration must do so at the county election office.
Late registrants are issued a ballot that must be returned to the county election office by the close of polls on election day.
Printable voter registration cards and absentee ballot applications can be found online at sos.mt.gov/elections.
From this page, voters may also access My Voter Page to check their registration status, look up their polling place location and track their absentee ballot.
Absentee ballots and AutoMARK voting machines provide voters with special needs options to vote privately and independently.
Qualified voters may also designate an agent to assist them with the voting process.
The state’s new Ballot Marking Wizard makes it easier for Montana’s absent military and overseas citizen electors to vote by absentee ballot.
The Wizard provides a secure way for those voters who are having a problem receiving traditional mail to receive and mark a paper ballot electronically.
The ballot is returned by e-mail to the county election office.
Voting is powerful, and your vote really can change the outcome of any election.
Research the candidates and the issues, and make informed decisions on election day.
Register and vote in the general election on Nov. 2.
Montana is depending on you.
McCulloch is the secretary of state for Montana.