More Montanans cast ballots in this election than any other midterm primary

Montana’s June primary election drew more than 300,000 voters across the state for the first time, the highest raw vote total for a primary during a midterm election year ever, according to data from the Montana Secretary of State’s office. At the same time, turnout as a share of registered voters continued to decline from its 2018 peak.

Data from the last eight midterm primary elections show the number of registered voters steadily increasing from 602,716 in 1998 to 791,207 in 2026, an increase of 31%. During that period, the number of ballots cast nearly doubled from 161,568 to 300,022.

The June 2, 2026 primary set a new participation record for primaries in midterm election years, surpassing the previous record of 293,049 ballots cast in 2022.

The highest participation rate in the last eight midterm primaries came in 2018, when 41.6% of registered voters cast ballots. Turnout fell to 39.4% in 2022 and 37.9% in 2026.


https://www.belgrade-news.com/news/more-montanans-cast-ballots-in-this-election-than-any-other-midterm-primary/article_c899e36a-3b51-4e13-b58f-1c310fe33397.amp.html