AARP Releases Montana Election Guide to Help Voters

“How to Vote” video series distills Montana's voting laws into a simple, easy-to-understand format

Helena, Mont., Apr. 18, 2024 — The 2024 election season is in full swing, with voter registration underway and early voting for the Primary Election starting on May 6 in Montana.



Voters 50-plus are again expected to be a powerful voting bloc in this year’s crucial elections. The turnout of voters over age 50 has significantly outpaced that of younger Montanans. In the 2022 midterm election, for example, 65% of the electorate was 50-plus, compared with just 35 percent among 18- to 49-year-olds. 

With so much at stake, AARP wants to make it easier for Montanans 50-plus to get the information they need to cast their ballots.

“As AARP Montana has done in the past, we’ve published an election guide to help voters keep track of the changes and important deadlines related to the electoral process,” said Tim Summers, AARP Montana State Director. “Knowing when, where and how to vote can be confusing, and we want to help make it as easy as possible.”

The Montana voting guide offers information on how to register, how to vote absentee and what kind of ID is required at the polls. It also provides information on how to find your polling place, view sample ballots, vote with a disability and more. The guide is updated throughout the election season to help voters stay on top of the latest information.

AARP Montana has also produced a “How to Vote” video PSA series. “Simple can sometimes be both elegant and powerful. This PSA series helps explain complex voting procedures by distilling Montana's voting laws into a simple, easy-to-understand format,” said Summers.

There are three short videos in the series: 1) How to Register to Vote in Montana's 2024 Primary Election; 2) How to Vote by Mail in Montana's 2024 Primary Election; and 3) How to Vote in Person in Montana's 2024 Primary Election.


“Voters have many options when it comes to voting. AARP wants to make sure they understand what those options are,” said Summers.


🔊 Listen to AARP Montana State Director Tim Summers talking about the state election guide

What to know about recent changes in Montana:

New state legislative maps take effect in 2024 that may change the boundaries of voting districts and affect which candidates appear on the ballot.

A 2023 law requires voters who were previously registered in another county or state to show their prior registration information when registering. It makes it a crime to register in Montana while “purposefully” registered in another state. The law is being challenged in court.

The Montana Supreme court recently struck down 2021 laws that eliminated same-day voter registration, introduced new voter ID requirements and prohibited paying third parties to collect absentee ballots. The state Supreme Court upheld the lower court decision.

Learn more about voting rules in Montana or watch the “How to Vote” videos at aarp.org/MtVotes.