This page provides answers to frequently asked questions about voting in Lincoln County and the Lincoln County Election process.
If you have any questions not answered on this page, please contact us here.

VOTER REGISTRATION

Submit a voter registration application to Lincoln County Elections
512 California Avenue
Libby, MT 59923

Voter Registration Application

• 18 or older on or before the next election.
• A citizen of the United States.
• A Montana resident for at least 30 days.
• Registered as required by law.
• Not currently serving a sentence in a penal institution for a felony conviction.
• Not judged in a court of law to be of unsound mind.

1. A Montana driver’s license or state ID number. If you do not have one, you will need to provide the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. If you have neither, you will need to provide another form of ID showing your current name and address (paycheck stub; utility bill; bank statement; or government document).
2. A Lincoln County residence address or specific geographic information from which your residence location may be determined.

You can check your voter registration status here.

Montana Voter Information

Submit a voter registration application to Lincoln County Elections,
512 California Avenue
Libby, MT  59923

Voter Registration Application

Submit a voter registration application to Lincoln County Elections:
512 California Avenue
Libby, MT  59923

Voter Registration Application

If you are from Montana and going to college in another county or state, you can choose to remain a registered voter in your home county and sign up for an absentee ballot if you will not be able to make it to your polling place at home on Election Day. Or, you can register to vote in the county where you attend school.
If you are from out of state, you may vote absentee from your home state or register to vote in Montana, but you cannot vote in both states.

If you reside in different locations at different times of the year, you may register to vote under either address, but not both at the same time. For example, if you reside in Libby October through April, but move to a cabin in Flathead County for May through September, you may register to vote in either Lincoln County or Flathead County, but not both.
On Election Day, you will need to go to your polling place in the county in which you are registered to vote. If you sign up as an absentee voter, you may designate different mailing addresses for different parts of the year.

ABSENTEE & MAIL-IN BALLOTS

Submit an application for an absentee ballot to Lincoln County Elections, 512 California Avenue, Libby, MT  59923.  You may request an absentee ballot for a specific upcoming election, or request that a ballot is mailed to you for all elections.

No. Anyone registered to vote in Montana may sign up to receive ballots in the mail without specifying a reason.

Some elections are conducted entirely by mail, meaning electors are mailed a ballot regardless of whether or not they have signed up to receive ballots in the mail.

In polling place elections, such as the Federal Primary and General Elections, ballots are only mailed to those that have signed up for the absentee list or have requested an absentee ballot specifically for that election.

Some people think that because they have signed up to receive absentee ballots in the past, they will always receive a ballot in the mail; however, the absentee list is not a permanent list. It expires in January of every even-numbered year. At the time of expiration, our office sends a letter to everyone on the absentee list asking if they would like to remain on the list for the next two years. If we do not receive confirmation from an individual, they will not receive their Federal Primary or General election ballots in the mail.

Visit My Voter Page to find out whether or not you are currently signed up for absentee ballots.
My Voter Page

Submit an application for absentee ballot to Lincoln County Elections, 512 California Avenue, Libby, MT  59923.  Applications are accepted at anytime. If you wish to vote absentee for a particular election, we must receive your request by noon the day before the election.

An elector may request to be mailed an absentee ballot for all elections in which they are eligible to vote as long as they remain qualified to vote at the residence address provided in the application. The absentee list expires in January of even-numbered years. At that time, our office will send a forwardable confirmation form to everyone on the absentee list. If you return the confirmation letter, you will remain on the absentee list for the next two years.

Visit My Voter Page or contact us to find out whether or not you are signed up for absentee ballots.
My Voter Page

Absentee ballots are mailed out 25 days before a Primary or General Election. In mail ballot elections, ballots are mailed out between 15 and 20 days before the election. If you do not receive your absentee ballot, contact the elections office.

Absentee ballots MUST BE RECEIVED by 8 PM on Election Day.  Sorry, but ballots postmarked on Election Day cannot be accepted.

Return your ballot to the Lincoln County Election Center, 418 Mineral Avenue, Floor B, Libby, MT 59923 in person or mail to 512 California Avenue, Libby, MT 59923. For a polling place election, you may also drop your absentee ballot off at any polling place in the County or any of the three drop-off kiosks located at:

Eureka Dispatch Office – 108 Dewey Ave., Eureka, MT 59917

Troy Dispatch Office – 301 E. Kootenai Ave., Troy, MT 59923

Libby Sherriff’s Office Dispatch – 512 California Ave. (basement), Libby, MT 59923

Election Center hours on Election Day are from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM

However you return your absentee ballot, be sure it is received by 8 PM on Election Day.

Request a replacement ballot.
Election Official Forms

Still can’t find it? Contact us at:

Election Administration
Phone: 283-2302 or 2304
Email: lcelections@libby.org

We prefer that you vote your absentee ballot if you requested one. If you do go to the polls, the Election Judge will issue you a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will be accepted and counted once we verify that you did not vote your absentee ballot. Some provisional ballots can be resolved and counted on Election Day, but most are resolved afterwards and counted on the Monday following the Election. Accepted provisional ballots are a part of the official election results.

If you are on the absentee list but no longer wish to vote absentee, send us a signed request to remove you from the absentee list.

No. All absentee ballots that are accepted by the deadline are counted in an election.

No a request for an absentee ballot must be signed by the elector requesting the ballot.
If you hold a power of attorney from an absent uniformed-service voter, you may apply for an absentee ballot on behalf of the uniformed services elector by providing a copy of the power of attorney authorizing the request for an absentee ballot.

If your health emergency occurs before 5pm on the Friday before the election, submit an absentee ballot request form to our office. We will mail out your ballot the day we receive your request. You could also have a friend or relative drop off your request, and if you designate them to pick up your ballot, we will give it to them when they bring in your request. (You must still sign the request.)

If your heath emergency occurs after 5pm on the Friday before the election, contact us and we can arrange for a special absentee election board to bring an absentee ballot to you.

MILITARY & OVERSEAS VOTING

The best way to vote is to register as a UOCAVA voter with the Federal Post Card Application.

Registering this way allows you to:

• Request your absentee ballot be sent to you by email, fax or regular mail.

• Receive your ballot early – absentee ballots are mailed 45 days before an election to UOCAVA voters. (All other absentee ballots are mailed 30 days • before an election.)

• Access and mark your absentee ballot online with Montana’s Electronic Absentee System.

• Return your absentee ballot by email, fax or regular mail.

Yes, you are eligible to vote under the last address at which you resided in the United States according to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

As a voter covered under UOCAVA, you are eligible to:

• Request your absentee ballot be sent to you by email, fax or regular mail.

• Receive your ballot early – absentee ballots are mailed 45 days before an election to UOCAVA voters. (All other absentee ballots are mailed 30 days before an election.)

• Access and mark your absentee ballot online with Montana’s Electronic Absentee System.

• Return your absentee ballot by email, fax or regular mail.

• To let us know you are a UOCAVA voter, register and request your absentee ballot with the Federal Post Card Application.

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) grants special provisions to military and overseas citizens to make it easier for them to register to vote, request absentee ballots, and return and track those ballots.

UOCAVA voters include:

• Members of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine on active duty

• Spouses or dependents of members of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine on active duty

• U.S. citizens residing outside of the U.S.

ACCESSIBILITY

Each of our polling places is equipped with at least one ExpressVotes machines to enable people with disabilities to vote independently and privately. Our election judges can also assist you with “curbside voting” if you are unable to enter the polling place, or with marking your ballot inside the polling place. If you prefer, you can bring a friend or relative to the polling place to assist you with voting, with the permission of the election judge.

If you are unable to provide a signature or identifying mark, you may designate an agent for the purpose of signing election documents.

Some voters with disabilities may find it easier to request an electronic ballot and vote with assistive technology on their home computers.

To discuss the voting method that best meets your needs, please contact our office.

Phone: 283-2302 or 2304
Email: lcelections@libby.org

Accessible Forms Available:   Election Official Forms  

• Voter Registration Application
• Application for Absentee Ballot
• Request for an Electronic Ballot
• Absentee Voting Instructions
• Annual Absentee Address Confirmation
• Declaration for Nomination and Oath of Candidacy
• Mail Ballot Replacement Ballot Request

OTHER ELECTION QUESTIONS

First, you must register to vote. You may choose to be an absentee voter by checking the applicable box on the voter registration card, or you may choose to vote at your polling place. (If you choose to vote at the polls, you can always request an absentee ballot in the event you will be out of town for an election.)

If you vote at your polling place, you will need to bring a photo ID. If you do not have one, you can provide a paycheck stub, utility bill, bank statement, or other government document with your name and address. If neither of those options are available, you may provide the election judge with your Montana ID number or the last four digits of your social security number. Or, you can vote a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will be counted if you provide one of the listed IDs to our office by 5pm the day after the election (copies of ID mailed to our office with a postmark before the deadline also accepted).

You do not need to present ID when you register to vote, but you do need to provide A Montana driver’s license or state ID number. If you do not have one, you will need to provide the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. If you have neither, you will need to provide another form of ID showing your current name and address (paycheck stub; utility bill; bank statement; or government document).

To vote at the polls, you will need to present a photo ID or other form of ID showing your current name and address such as those listed above. If you cannot provide ID at the polls, you may give the judge your Montana ID number of the last four digits of your social security number. Once the election judge confirms the number with our office, they will provide you with a ballot. Or, you can vote a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will be counted if you provide one of the listed IDs to our office by 5pm the day after the election (copies of ID mailed to our office with a postmark before the deadline also accepted).

Though we do not have “early voting,” you can receive, mark and submit an absentee ballot in person at the election office starting 30 days before a federal election and 20 days before most other types of elections. Ballots are not counted until Election Day.

Locate your polling place with Montana’s My Voter Page or our list of polling places.

Still can’t find it? Contact us at:

Election Administration
Phone: 283-2302 or  2304
Email: lcelections@libby.org

Provisional ballots are issued on Election Day at the polls and at the election office for a variety of reasons. They are usually given to voters when there is an issue that must be resolved before their ballot can be counted. For example, if the voter was sent an absentee ballot and goes to the polling place to vote, they will be given a provisional ballot at the polls. This allows us to verify that the elector did not already vote the absentee ballot before we accept the provisional ballot issued at the polls.

The elector has until 5pm the day after the election to resolve their provisional ballot. As another example, if the voter could not provide identification at the polls, they would be issued a provisional ballot. If that voter brings in an ID to our office the following day, or postmarks a copy of the ID to us, we can resolve and accept their provisional ballot.

Provisional ballots that have been accepted are counted after 3pm on the Monday following the election. All voters who are issued a provisional ballot receive a letter stating the reason why their ballot was accepted or rejected.

An inactive voter is someone who has not exercised their right to vote in a Federal Election and has not responded to mailings from our office.

Inactive voters are still registered voters and can vote in a polling place election by going to the polls to vote, or by requesting an absentee ballot.

In a mail ballot election, inactive voters will not be sent a ballot. They may reactivate their status by sending us a voter registration card or absentee ballot request.

Not sure whether you are an active or inactive voter? Check the My Voter Page or contact us:

Phone: 283-2302 or 2304
Email: lcelections@libby.org

Most Lincoln County election results including some state and national results are available here.

Contact us if you do not see the results you are looking for:

Election Administration
Phone: 283-2302 or 2304
Email: lcelections@libby.org

For statewide election results and statistics, visit the Secretary of State’s website

Our office provides extracts of the public information contained in our database of registered voters for noncommercial use only.  Submit your request for files with the Voter File Request form.

Statewide voter file information may also be purchased from the Secretary of State’s office here.

CANDIDATE RESOURCES

Yes, both Lincoln County and the Secrety of State maintains websites with Candidate Information, Rules, Forms and more.

Lincoln County Candidate Information Page.
Montana Secretary of State Candidate Information Website.

You can file electronically with us, however, our office needs the original paperwork within three days of filing. In order to record the document and make it permanent record within the County, an original document is required to record.

If you are filing for a local position such as commissioner, judge, school trustee, fire district, community council, city council person, among others, requirements may vary. Please call our office 406-283-2302 to find out if you must reside within a particular district or not to file for office.

Yes. In order to accept your filing forms, fees must be paid for at the time of filing. If an individual is unable to pay the associated fees, please see the indigent candidate process.

The Commissioner of Political Practices regulates campaign finance for candidates. Any forms or paperwork must be requested and submitted to the CPP. The local elections office is removed from the process and will not accept any CPP paperwork starting January of 2016.