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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE VOTER REGISTRATION IS A RIGHT AND A RESPONSIBILITY! What qualifications do I need to meet to be a registered voter?
You have the right to register to vote even if you do not yet satisfy the age or residency requirements as long as you will by the next election. Where do I go to register? Persons wishing to vote in Pondera County may register by appearing at the office of the Clerk and Recorder, main floor of the Pondera County Courthouse located at 20 Fourth Ave SW, in Conrad. Office hours are 8-5 Monday through Friday. For those who are unable to come to the office, you may request that a registration form be mailed to you by calling (406) 271-4000. Is there anywhere else I can register to vote? Registration is available at many places in Montana, including County Elections Administrator offices, Secretary of State’s office, public assistance offices, vocational rehabilitation offices, drivers examiners’ offices and job services offices. Do I need to declare a political party in order to register to vote? Voters are not required to declare a political party in order to register to vote. In a Partisan Primary Election, the voter will declare his or her party affiliation in the privacy of the voting booth by voting a straight ticket. (Voters are given ballots for each qualifying party and must vote only the party ballot of their choice.) Do I need to prove my identity to register to vote? No. When you sign the voter registration card you are swearing or affirming that the information you have provided is true. If you have given false information, you may be subject to a fine or imprisonment or both under Federal or State laws. HOWEVER, as of January 1, 2004, you will need to provide your Montana Driver's License Number. If you do not have a Montana Driver's License, you will be able to provide the last four digits of your Social Security number. Should you later obtain a Montana Driver's License, it will be your responsibility to provide that information to the Clerk and Recorder. Why do I need to give both a residence address and a mailing address on my registration? Your residence address determines what precinct you are assigned to. Montana law requires that you provide your residence address and failure to do so will result in you not being registered to vote. It is important to be in the proper precinct in order to vote on issues and candidates that are of importance to your residential area. Even in rural Pondera County, you will have a residence address that read like a city address. You cannot use a post office box as a residence address because you cannot live in a post office box! If you do not know your rural residence address, we can help you obtain that information. You must provide your correct mailing address in order to receive mail from the elections’ office. Such mailings may include voter information and, in mail ballot elections, your ballot! Why do I need to give my birth date to register to vote? Birth dates are used to determine identity of two or more voters with the same name as well as to determine if the voter is 18 years of age or older on the date of the election. There is no age at which your registration terminates. What law governs whether my felony conviction limits my right to vote? The impact of a criminal conviction on the right to vote varies widely from state to state. Whether you can vote after being convicted of a crime is determined by the state in which live, not the state in which you were convicted. Can I vote while I am incarcerated in Montana? If you are a resident of Montana, you cannot vote while you are incarcerated for conviction of a felony. If you are a resident of another state who is temporarily incarcerated in Montana, you may be able to vote an absentee ballot for your home state. You need to consult the law of your home state regarding both criminal convictions and absentee ballots to see if this is a possibility. I have been released from incarceration. How do I restore my right to vote? In Montana, the right to vote is automatically restored upon lawful release from incarceration. In order to vote, you simply must register. What if my conviction was for a federal crime? Montana applies the same rules whether you were convicted of a federal or state crime. What if I was convicted of a felony in another state? The same rules apply for Montana voters even if the conviction occurred in another state. What happens if I move to another state? If you move to another state, your right to vote will be controlled by the laws of that state. When do I need to register to vote? Registration is available year-round in Montana. However, in order to vote in a primary or general election, you must be registered at least 30 days before that election. Will I be allowed to vote if I did not change my address with the Election Administrator? If you change your address between elections, you must update your address 30 days before an election. If you do not do so, you will be allowed to vote one more time at your previous polling place, but will be required to complete a change of address form before voting. Your right to vote is secured by being properly registered in the precinct where you reside. Do I have to do anything to keep my voter registration current? Yes. You must vote in every federal general election (November of even-numbered years) in order to remain an active voter. You must notify local election officials of any changes you make in your name or place of residence. If you do not vote in a federal general election, you need to re-register before you will be eligible to vote in any elections other than federal elections. You may still be able to vote in federal elections. How do I re-register to vote if I failed to vote in a federal general election? If you fail to vote in a federal general election you can update your registration by appearing at the County Election Administrator’s office or by telephone to that office. If you do not update your information you will be mailed an Address Confirmation Request which you are requested to return. If you do not return that card, you are sent a second Address Confirmation Request. If you do not respond to the confirmation mailings sent to you by the Election Administrator, your registration will be placed in an inactive status. If you then fail to vote in 2 consecutive federal general elections, your registration will be purged from our records. You will then be required to complete a new registration form. What is the difference between an active and inactive registered voter? An active voter is a registered voter who has voted in the last federal general election. An active voter is eligible to vote in all federal, state and local elections. An inactive voter is a registered voter who did not vote in the last federal general election. An inactive voter is eligible to vote in federal and state elections and can update their status at that election. An inactive voter cannot vote in a local election. When is a voter registration purged or cancelled? A voter’s registration is cancelled at the request of the voter, or, if the voter fails to vote in two consecutive federal general elections, or if the voter registers to vote outside Pondera County and that election administrator notifies Pondera County of the registration in the new county. Do I need to vote in a federal primary election in order to vote in a federal general election? No. This is a frequently asked question in elections’ offices. If you are unable to vote in a primary election, you can still vote in the general. The confusion arises when voters do not distinguish between federal primary and general elections. Voters who do not vote in two consecutive federal general elections are cancelled and must re-register. What is a local election? A local election is any election not having federal or state offices or ballot issues on the ballot. Examples of local elections are municipal elections, school district elections, rural fire district elections, cemetery district elections and water district elections. What is a mail ballot election? A mail ballot election is one in which there are no polling places on election day. The ballots (and instructions) are mailed to all registered, active voters about 3 weeks before election day. The ballot is voted in the elector’s home and is then returned by mail or in person to the Election Administrator’s office. The votes are not counted until 8:00 p.m. on election day. What if I do not receive a ballot in the mail? You should contact the Election Administrator at the Clerk and Recorder’s office in the Courthouse in Conrad. Your ballot may have been returned by the post office because of an incorrect address and, if so, you may pick up your ballot at the office. Since mail ballot elections are always local elections, if you are an inactive voter you will not be mailed a ballot. Only active voters will receive a ballot in a local election. Keep your records current!! Can I get an absentee ballot for a mail ballot election? No. There are no absentee ballots in a mail ballot election as all registered active voters are mailed their ballot. The ballots are mailed to the mailing address listed in the voters’ registration records. This is another good reason to keep your records updated!! Can I get an absentee ballot in a polling place election? A voter wishing to vote an absentee ballot in a polling place election may submit an application to the Election Administrator during a period beginning 75 days prior to a primary or general election and ending at noon the day before the election. Absentee voters may vote in person at the Pondera County Courthouse during regular business hours, during a period beginning 30 days prior to a county primary or general election. If unable to appear in person, the voter may request that a ballot be mailed to him or her by submitting a written request bearing the signature of the individual for whom the ballot is being requested and the proper mailing address to which the ballot is to be mailed. Absentee voting closes at noon the day before an election. Any ballots mailed to a voter must be returned by 8:00 p.m. on election day. What is special absentee voting? A qualified elector who is prevented from voting at the polls as a result of an illness or health emergency occurring between 5:00 p.m. on the Friday preceding the election and noon on election day may vote by absentee ballot. Such health emergency must arise from unforeseen circumstances that require the elector to seek health care or medical assistance.
Last Update: 01/23/2004
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