Today is National Voter Registration Day, and Missoula County has around 10,000 residents who are eligible to vote but aren’t registered.

Whether it’s because they recently moved here, turned 18 or became eligible for another reason, the Missoula County Elections Office wants to ensure everyone qualified to cast a ballot can do so this fall.

Through Tuesday, Oct. 9, residents who will have lived in the county for at least 30 days prior to the Nov. 6 federal election can fill out a voter registration application, available on the Secretary of State’s website, and mail it to 200 W. Broadway. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this convenience before the regular registration period ends.

After Oct. 9, late registration begins, and voters will need to register in person at the Elections Office, which is now located in Building 15 at the Missoula County Fairgrounds, 1101 South Ave. Current office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and starting Monday, Oct. 29, we’ll offer expanded hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For those who can’t come in during the work week, the office will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 3. Parking is free, and there’s currently plenty of it.

For the convenience of aspiring voters who live outside Missoula and for busy students, the Elections Office will hold late registration events in Seeley Lake, Frenchtown and at the University of Montana this October. Those events will take place on the following dates:

Seeley Lake: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 16, Missoula County Satellite Office, 3360 Highway 83 N.
Frenchtown: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23, Frenchtown Fire Department, 16863 Marion St.
UM: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30, University Center

Residents who register to vote at one of these events or at the Elections Office can even cast their ballots at the same time!

Montana also is one of 11 states that has same-day voter registration. To register to vote on Election Day, voters must do so at the Elections Center at the Fairgrounds. Voters will need a Montana driver’s license or ID card, or another form of acceptable ID that shows their name and current address, such as a paycheck stub, utility bill or other government documentation.

With renovation construction beginning at the fairgrounds, we urge people to take care of any voting-related requests as soon as possible to alleviate crowding at the facility in the days leading up to the election. In addition to registering to vote, Elections Office staff can help with all voter services, including absentee ballot requests, address changes and answering election-related questions.

The Missoula County Elections Office is here to support your voting and elections needs. We encourage you to take advantage of the Elections Center for late and same-day registration and any other election-related questions.

Missoula County takes pride in providing fair, balanced and accessible elections to our residents, and we look forward to serving you and counting your ballot this November!

Dayna Causby is the elections administrator for Missoula County.

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