Montana’s county-reported absentee ballot returns reached 92,931 when the state’s public tracker was checked Tuesday morning, October 20. Its downloadable table listed 520,806 ballots sent, putting the received share at about 17.8%. The figures provide an early picture of ballot deliveries, not candidate vote totals or a final statewide turnout rate.
The snapshot is newer than the 60,329 returns reported Monday by the Daily Montanan, which interviewed county election administrators about ballot processing and registration. Its report used a sent-ballot total of 520,035. Both the numerator and denominator can change in the rolling table, so the percentages should be read with their dates and reporting scope attached.
The birth-year instruction has changed
Voters may encounter return-envelope language that does not fully match the operative guidance. The Secretary of State’s Vote Montana page still displays a prominent instruction to add a birth year, but also explicitly states that the birth-year requirement is not currently enforced. Its numbered return instructions repeat that qualification.
Missoula County likewise says voters are no longer required to supply the birth year following a court decision, although the county recommends including it in case the law changes before November 3. Those statements distinguish an unenforced requirement from a prohibition: providing the year is not described as invalidating a ballot.
Other return steps remain important. The state’s instructions direct voters to place the completed ballot in its secrecy envelope, then inside the return signature envelope, and to sign and date the return envelope. Separate absentee guidance specifies that the person issued the ballot must be the person signing its affirmation. Voters who make a mistake should request a replacement ballot from their county rather than assume the packet cannot be corrected.
Plan for receipt, not just mailing
The state’s deadline requires absentee ballots to be received at the election office or polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3. Vote Montana recommends mailing at least a week before Election Day or dropping the ballot at the county election office. That mailing recommendation is distinct from the receipt deadline.
The Secretary of State’s voter FAQ directs anyone whose ballot has not arrived to contact their county election office and provides links for tracking. It also explains that eligible voters can still register or update information during late registration, but must obtain their ballot in person. County-specific office hours and locations should be checked locally rather than inferred from another county’s schedule.
The state’s return guidance also links to county election contacts for questions about completing and returning a packet.
In Monday’s report, Cascade County election administrator Terry Thompson encouraged early registration to reduce Election Day lines. That practical task continues alongside the rising return count: confirming registration, checking ballot status and following current envelope instructions are separate parts of completing an absentee vote.
