The growing DeSmet School District has a bond on this years school election ballot that may no longer need the support of voters. The $100,000 bond was originally going to be used to purchase land near the school and build a new track and field complex before the City of Missoula recently agreed to lease the land to DeSmet at minimal cost. The bond would result in an increase of $7.50 a year on a $300,000 home if passed. DeSmet School Superintendent Matt Driessen says with this lease agreement, it's no longer necessary for voters to support the bond. However, Driessen told MTN the District wou ..read more

Anyone who has spent any amount of time walking just about anywhere in Missoula has probably seen or been stopped by people armed with clipboards trying to get your signature. Theyre trying to get signatures to get two amendments to the Montana constitution up for a vote in November, ones that would change how we elect our government officials. For a long time, there were like pro, pro-life Democrats and they were like, moderate pro-environmental Republicans. And so these parties were pretty diverse and, in the last couple of years we've really seen an effort to kind of create a more rigid set ..read more

Montanas primary election is coming up on June 4. That means county election officials across Montana are working to make sure they have the election judges they need to staff polling places this year. In Lewis and Clark County, leaders say theyve seen a lot of people interested in going through election judge training. There are few jobs as critical to democracy as the job of election judge, and I thank you all for being here, county election supervisor Connor Fitzpatrick told attendees at a training session in Helena Wednesday. About 100 people were on hand Wednesday, and Fitzpatrick said ev ..read more

School board elections are just around the corner in May and Montana's primary election is in June. It's important to read up on the candidates' views, especially for young and new voters. The Missoula League of Women Voters visited Missoula College on Thursday, April 25, 2024, to provide voter information and registration forms. The organization has also developed a nationwide website called Vote 411 which can help people find polling places, see who's on the ballot, and much more. "[Vote 411] actually went live in 2006, but this is Montana's first year with it," Missoula League of Women Vote ..read more

With primary ballots set to go out to Montana voters starting May 10, fundraising is heating up in the states races for U.S. House. The crowded race to replace U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale in the eastern congressional district now has eight Republicans and four Democrats actively running including three candidates whove now put hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money into the campaign. In the Republican primary, State Auditor Troy Downing reported raising more than $602,000 during the first three months of 2024, including $200,000 in a personal loan to his campaign. He had previously ..read more

Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) is looking for voters to pass four levy requests that are on the May 7, 2024, school elections ballot. MCPS is facing an estimated $3.6 million deficit that has already resulted in the cutting of staff, and programs that many students supported. The general fund levy for the elementary school is valued at $105,134 which would cause an increase in annual taxes by approximately $2.37 for a home valued at $300,000. The high school levy is valued at $403,627 and would increase taxes on a $300,000 home by $4.95 per year. MCPS superintendent Micah Hill says the ..read more

The Missoula County Elections Office is sending out approximately 72,000 ballots on Wednesday for the upcoming school and special district elections. The mail-only election takes place on May 7, 2024, and polling places will not be open on Election Day. All active and provisionally registered voters who have an active election where they live will receive a ballot after theyre mailed. Elections officials note that not all Missoula County residents will receive a ballot or be eligible to vote in this election. The ballots are due back to the Elections Office by 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 7. Return pos ..read more

With more than six months still to go before Montana voters select a U.S. senator, the closely watched race is shaping up to challenge records for campaign spending just like other hotly contested Senate races in Montana in 2018 and 2020. Monday was the first campaign finance deadline for federal candidates after Montanas primary fields were set. Candidates submitted updated reports to the Federal Election Commission, laying out their fundraising and spending for the first three months of 2024. To this point, Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Republican challenger Tim Sheehy have already raised s ..read more

Donald Trump Jr. will appear alongside Gov. Greg Gianforte and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke for a campaign event and fundraiser on Sunday, April 28, at the University of Montana. The event at the University Center Ballroom will be hosted by the Montana Association of Conservatives as a fundraiser for its political action committee, Mac-Pac, according to a website in which people can sign up to attend. A spokesperson for the group confirmed the event Thursday afternoon, the Daily Montanan reports. Tickets will cost $75 per person for people who want to attend, according to the sign-up and donation form ..read more

Education measures continue across Montana surrounding Constitutional Initiatives 126 and 127. The initiatives, backed by Montanans for Election Reform, aim to open up Montanas primary elections. Approved by the Montana Supreme Court, advocates have begun collecting signatures in order to be added to the November ballot. They each need 60,359 signatures to be added, but what exactly are these initiatives? CI-126 gives voters the option to cast their vote regardless of party affiliation in Montanas primaries. All candidates across all parties would be listed on one ballot. The top four candidat ..read more