MT Presidential Ballot Access
Montana Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for Montana, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
A presidential candidate nominated by a qualified political party may be placed on the general election ballot. Each qualified political party must certify to the Secretary of State by the date prescribed by the Secretary of State the names of the nominees for presidential electors. A political party is qualified if it had a candidate for a statewide office in either of the last two general elections receive 5% or more of the total votes cast for the most recent successful candidate for governor. A political party may also qualify by filing with the secretary of state no later than 95 days before the date of the primary a petition containing the number of signatures of registered voters equal to 5% or more of the votes cast for the successful candidate for governor at the last general election, or 5,000 electors, whichever i s less. The number must include the registered voters in more than 1/3 of the legislative districts equal to 5% or more of the total votes cast for the successful candidate for governor at the last general election in those districts or 150 electors in those districts, whichever is less.
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
An independent presidential candidate or a presidential candidate of a political party that does not qualify may obtain ballot access for the general election by filing with the secretary of state 76 days prior to the general election a petition containing the signatures of electors equal to 5% or more of the total votes cast for the successful candidate for governor at the last general election, or 5,000 electors, whichever is less. The names of the candidates for presidential electors must be certified to the secretary of state no later than 76 days before the election
Write-In
Write-In Rules
A presidential write-in candidate for president must submit a declaration of intent with the secretary of state no later than the 10th day before absentee ballots must be made available
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- Mont. Code. Ann. §§ 13-10-504, 13-10-601, 13-25-101, 13-10-211
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.