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2. Explore Montana elections
3. Explore New Mexico elections

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Explore Montana elections

Let’s kick off our second week of 50 States in 25 Days series, where we feature what to know about two states in each Brew issue leading up to Nov. 3. Here are the states we've highlighted so far:

• Alabama & Arkansas
• California & Texas
• North Carolina & Mississippi
• Illinois & Ohio
• Nebraska & Oregon

We're going in order of when states held their primaries, so up next are Montana and New Mexico.

On the ballot in Montana

At the federal level, Montana voters will elect three presidential electors, one U.S. Senator, and one U.S. Representative. The offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Attorney General, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (State Auditor), and three seats on the state public service commission are up for election. Both chambers of the state legislature are on the ballot, with 25 out of 50 seats up in the state Senate and all 100 seats up in the state House. Two seats on the state supreme court are on the ballot. Voters will also decide on five statewide ballot measures.   

Partisan data

• In 2016, Donald Trump (R) defeated Hillary Clinton (D) 56% to 36% in Montana. Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win a presidential election in the state in 1992.
• Three of Montana’s 56 counties are Pivot Counties, accounting for 3.37% of the state’s population. Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016.
• Montana’s senior Senator, Jon Tester, is a Democrat. Its junior Senator, Steve Daines, is a Republican.
• Montana’s Representative in the U.S. House, Greg Gianforte, is a Republican.
• Montana’s governor is a Democrat, while its attorney general and secretary of state are Republicans, meaning it is one of 14 states without a state government triplex.
• Republicans have a 30-20 majority in the state Senate and a 58-42 majority in the state House. Because the governor is a Democrat, Montana is one of 14 states without a state government trifecta.

Battleground races

Here are four battleground races taking place in Montana:

• U.S. Senate: Incumbent Steve Daines (R), Steve Bullock (D), and Wendie Fredrickson (L) are running for Montana’s Class II U.S. Senate seat. Daines defeated Amanda Curtis (D) 57.8% to 40.1% in 2014. Bullock, the state’s current governor, won the 2016 gubernatorial election defeating Greg Gianforte 50.25% to 46.36%.
• Governor: Mike Cooney (D), Greg Gianforte (R), Robert Barb (G), and Lyman Bishop (L) are running for governor. Cooney is the state’s current lieutenant governor, while Gianforte is its Representative in the U.S. House.
• Attorney General: Raph Graybill (D), Austin Knudsen (R), and Roy Davis (G) are running for attorney general. Incumbent Tim Fox (R) ran for governor rather than seeking re-election, leaving the office open.
• Secretary of State: Bryce Bennett (D) and Christi Jacobsen (R) are running for secretary of state. Incumbent Corey Stapleton (R) ran for U.S. House rather than seeking re-election.

Ballot measures

• Montana voters will decide five statewide measures on Nov. 3: two are citizen initiatives, and the Montana Legislature referred three.
• CI-118 and I-190 would, together, legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana for adults over the age of 21.
• The legislature referred LR-130 to the ballot to remove local governments' authority to regulate the carrying of permitted concealed weapons.

Voting

• In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Steve Bullock (D) issued a directive authorizing counties to conduct the Nov. 3 general election by mail.
• In 2018, mail-in ballots were 72% of the total votes cast.
• Montana does not require witnesses or notaries to sign absentee/mail-in ballots.  
• Absentee/mail-in ballots can be returned in person or by mail. A ballot must be received by the time polls close on Nov. 3 in order to be counted.  
• Montana election law states that ballots can be counted before Election Day. 
• All voters are required to present identification at the polls. This identification does not have to include a photo. For more information about acceptable forms of ID, click here.  
• Early voting in Montana begins on Oct. 2 and ends on Nov. 2.
• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Montana is in the Mountain time zone.

Explore New Mexico elections

On the ballot in New Mexico

At the federal level, New Mexico voters will elect five presidential electors, one U.S. Senator, and three U.S. Representatives. Two seats on the state public regulation commission and five seats on the state public education commission are up for election. Both chambers of the state legislature are on the ballot, with all 42 seats up in the state Senate and all 70 state House districts. Two seats on the state supreme court and three intermediate appellate court seats are on the ballot. Voters will also decide on five statewide ballot measures. Ballotpedia is covering local elections in Bernalillo County.  

Partisan data

• In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) defeated Donald Trump (R) 48% to 40% in New Mexico. Democrats won the state in six of the past 10 presidential elections and Republicans won four.
• Three of New Mexico’s 33 counties—Colfax, Hidalgo, and Valencia Counties—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016.
• Both of New Mexico’s U.S. Senators—Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall—are Democrats.
• Democrats represent all three of the state's U.S. House districts.
• New Mexico’s governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all Democrats, making it one of 17 states with a Democratic triplex. It has held this status since 2019.
• Democrats have a 26-16 majority in the state Senate and a 46-24 majority in the state House. Because the governor is also a Democrat, New Mexico is one of 15 states with a Democratic trifecta. Democrats gained a trifecta when they won the governor’s office in the 2018 elections.

Battleground races

Here’s one battleground race in New Mexico:

• New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D), Yvette Herrell (R), and Steve Jones (I) are running in the general election for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District. Torres Small was first elected in 2018, making New Mexico’s 2nd one of 30 House Districts represented by a Democrat in 2020 that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016.

Ballot measures

• The New Mexico legislature referred five statewide measures to the Nov. 3 ballot: two constitutional amendments and three bond issues.
• Amendment 1 would make the Public Regulation Commission a three-member appointed commission instead of a five-member elected commission. Amendment 2 would allow for laws that adjust the date of elections and terms for non-statewide officeholders.
• Bond Issues A, B, and C represent a total of $199.3 million in proposed bond issues: $33.3 million in bonds for senior citizen facility improvements; $9.7 million in bonds for public libraries; and $156.3 million in bonds for public higher education institutions, special public schools, and tribal schools.

Voting

• In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed SB4 into law, authorizing county clerks to automatically mail absentee/mail-in ballot applications to registered, mailable voters in the general election.
• In 2018, mail-in ballots were 9.7% of the total votes cast.
• New Mexico does not require witnesses or notaries to sign absentee/mail-in ballot documents.
• Absentee/mail-in ballots can be returned in person or by mail. A ballot must be received by the time polls close on Election Day in order to be counted. 
• New Mexico election law states that officials cannot begin counting ballots until after the polls close. 
• New Mexico does not require all voters to present ID at the polls. Select voters, however, may be required to present ID at the polls (e.g., first-time voters who registered by mail without submitting identification). For more information, see here.  
• Early voting in New Mexico begins on Oct. 17 and ends on Oct. 31.
• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. New Mexico is in the Mountain time zone.

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