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Voter file data: L2 Data · Registration counts: Montana Secretary of State · Updated May 16, 2026

Montana Voter Registration

& Party Affiliation Statistics

Total Registered
724,916
Most Active Primary Party
Republican (45.34%)
Independent / NPP
28.26%
Primary Type
State:Open Primary
Pres:Closed Primary
OverviewRegistrationPrimary RulesTurnout
At a Glance

Montana at a Glance

Key voter registration statistics · Updated 2026

Registered Voters
724,916
across 56 counties
Independent / NPP
28.26%
of registered voters
2024 Turnout
68.4%
of eligible voters
Primary Participation

Primary Ballot Participation by Party

Montana does not register voters by party. The breakdown below is modeled from recent primary ballot history.

26.4%
45.34%
28.26%
Democratic26.4%
Republican45.34%
Independent/Other28.26%
PartyRegistered Voters% of Total
Democratic
191,38626.4%
Republican
328,67845.34%
Independent/Other
204,85228.26%

Note: Montana does not collect party affiliation at voter registration. These figures are modeled from L2 voter-file analysis of which primary ballot each voter pulled in recent cycles — they reflect primary participation, not party registration.

Primary Rules

How Montana's Primary Works

Montana uses different primary rules for state/congressional and presidential elections

State / Congressional

⚖
Open Primary
Any registered voter can vote in any party's primary, regardless of their own party affiliation or registration status.
How It Works
On election day, voters choose which party's ballot they want. They don't need to be registered with that party. In most open primary states, this choice is made privately at the polling place.
IVP's Position
Better than closed primaries, but still forces voters to pick a party's ballot rather than voting for the best candidate regardless of party.
See all primary systems by state →

Presidential

⚖
Closed Primary
Only voters registered with a political party can vote in that party's primary election. Independent and unaffiliated voters are excluded.
How It Works
Voters must register with a party, often weeks or months before the election, to participate. If you're registered as independent or unaffiliated, you cannot vote in either major party's primary.
IVP's Position
Closed primaries lock millions of independent voters out of the elections that matter most. In many districts, the primary is the only competitive election.
See all primary systems by state →
Turnout

Voter Turnout in Montana

How many eligible Montana residents actually vote?

Recent Elections
ElectionTurnoutVoted
2024 General68.4%612,423
2022 General53.3%468,326
2020 General71.3%612,075
2024 Presidential Primary25.1%182,248
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