Montana Absentee Ballot Returns Reach 82% in Prairie and Powder River Counties

Election officials in Montana reported that absentee ballot return rates ranged from 51.44% to 82.30% across the state's 56 counties as polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Prairie County and Powder River County recorded the highest participation, with more than 82% of requested mail ballots returned.

The Secretary of State’s Office data indicates that over 300,000 mail ballots were returned out of roughly 530,000 requested statewide. This early voting performance places 2026 turnout above the 61% mark recorded in 2022 and on par with the 71% seen in 2018, though it is projected to be lower than the 76% turnout from 2024.

Major population centers showed high volumes of mail-in activity. In Yellowstone County, the state's most populous jurisdiction, heavy mail-in voting drove early activity. Similar patterns emerged in Missoula County and Flathead County, where election departments processed tens of thousands of ballots.

Specific county data reveals distinct participation levels. Cascade County issued 36,611 absentee ballots and logged 25,613 returns, resulting in a 69.96% rate. Gallatin County received 43,905 of the 67,708 issued ballots, a 64.84% return rate.

With just over 62,000 votes counted, Republican nominee Kurt Alme held a margin of approximately 60% over Independent Seth Bodnar. Bodnar ranged between 37% and 40% of the total. Democrat Alani Bankhead trailed with 12% to 13%, while Libertarian Kyle Austin received 2%.

In the House District 1 race to replace Rep. Ryan Zinke, Democrat Sam Forstag and Republican Aaron Flint were nearly tied in the latest tally. Forstag, a firefighter, held 49% of the vote, while Flint, a talk show host, held 48%.