Responsive Gov’s Grade TL;DR

Montana ignored court precedent to pass a fresh wave of anti-voter legislation. By reviving invalidated statutes — including strict ID laws and shortened registration periods — the Legislature demonstrated a commitment to restriction over the rule of law. This earned the state a D- rating.

Looking Back

Where Montana Started at the Beginning of 2025

• Automatic Voter Registration: No
• Online Voter Registration: No
• Same-Day Registration: Yes
• Restoration of Rights: Prison Disenfranchisement
• Vote by Mail: No-Excuse
• Electronic Registration Information Center Member: No
• Early Voting Opportunities: In-Person Absentee
• ID Requirements: ID Requested, but not Required

Relying on the Cost of Voting Index for Montana as of 2024, we considered the state a middle tier state for pre-existing voting policy and compared its 2025 activity against other middle tier states.

How Our Tier Compares

• COVI (2024): 31st
• EPI Score (2022): 40th

2025: This Past Year

Legislative Action

During the 2025 session, the Montana State Legislature passed several pieces of election-related legislation that limit access of eligible voters and increase burdens on election administrators, without increasing protections for election security or integrity.

• SB 490 shortens the deadline to register to vote on Election Day to noon, rather than the close of polls. It also eliminates the option to register to vote on the Monday before Election Day by pushing back the deadline to Saturday.
• SB 276 tightens voter ID restrictions and narrows the list of acceptable voter IDs. It also removes the option for provisional voters to show an alternative ID document (such as a current utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck) to prove their identity.
• HB 719 requires individuals to include their birthdate on their voter registration form, or they will be “provisionally registered.” Additionally, absentee voters must include their birth year on both their absentee application and their ballot envelope.
• HB 423 modifies the list maintenance procedures applicable to “provisionally registered” voters. These voters will no longer be contacted as part of annual list maintenance. The bill also directs the secretary of state to create rules related to the removal of provisionally registered voters from the rolls.
• HB 413 narrows the residency rules for voter registration purposes to clarify that if an individual moves to Montana for a temporary purpose, such as school or work, they must intend to make Montana their “permanent home” when that temporary purpose ends.
• HB 179 expressly prohibits moving an inactive voter to the active voter list based on the voter signing a petition for a statewide ballot issue.
• SB 57 revises county canvassing procedures to require counties to compare the number of votes cast with the number of electors and the number of persons who voted, and to investigate any discrepancies. It also authorizes county canvass boards to require a recount as part of their investigation.
• SB 58 revises absentee ballot count procedures to authorize an election administrator to investigate any discrepancies not satisfactorily explained by the counting board in the absentee count report. As part of the investigation, the administrator may conduct a recount and review the record of accepted ballots.
• HB 248 clarifies that an election administrator may cancel a voter registration based on an obituary, but removes the requirement that the obituary be posted in a newspaper.
• HB 193 requires a voter’s written request to cancel their voter registration to be signed by the voter.
• HB 527 removes the requirement that the secretary of state approve a jurisdiction’s plan to conduct a mail ballot election. Instead, election administrators must simply post their plans on the county website or in another public way at least 60 days before the election.