How Montana elections are structured
Background for reading the record. This describes the shape of Montana elections, not the contents of any one filing.
The cycle
Montana holds state and county elections in even-numbered years. It holds many municipal and school elections in odd-numbered years. Both kinds appear in this corpus, and an odd year is a real cycle with real candidates, not a gap.
A campaign's money moves across the year boundary. A candidate in a 2026 race raises and spends money through 2025 and 2026. Each document in this corpus states the reporting window it covers.
The legislature
- House of Representatives — 100 seats, numbered House District No. 01 through No. 100. Every seat is elected every two years.
- Senate — 50 seats, numbered Senate District No. 01 through No. 50. Terms are four years and the seats are staggered, so about half are elected in any cycle. A district with no candidate in a given cycle is usually not up for election.
A legislative district is drawn by population. It does not follow county lines, and a county can hold several districts or share one with its neighbors.
Statewide offices
Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. Also the Public Service Commission, which is elected by district.
The courts
Montana elects judges at three different scopes at the same time. Getting these confused mislocates a race.
- Supreme Court Justice — elected statewide, by seat number. A seat number is not a district. A justice's home county says nothing about where the race is run, because every Montana voter votes in it.
- District Court Judge — elected by judicial district, numbered 1 through 22. A judicial district is not a legislative district.
- Justice of the Peace — a county office.
County and local offices
County Commissioner, Sheriff, County Attorney, Clerk and Recorder, Treasurer, Assessor, Coroner, Superintendent of Schools, and School Trustee, among others. Some counties combine two offices into one elected position.
Local offices are the largest group of candidates in a typical Montana cycle. A cycle is not mostly legislative.
What a campaign has to do
A Montana campaign registers, appoints a treasurer, names a bank, and then files periodic finance reports through the cycle. Reports are due on a schedule set in law, with extra reports close to an election.
Registration and finance are separate filings. A campaign can be registered and still owe a finance report.
Contribution limits
Montana caps what one donor may give to a candidate. The cap depends on the office, and the primary and the general election are separate contests with separate caps.
A candidate's own money is not capped. Political committees have no equivalent exemption.
Ballot issues
Committees also form to support or oppose ballot measures rather than candidates. They file as committees and appear in this corpus alongside candidate committees.