Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 343,602 | 56.92% | 244,786 | 40.55% | 15,286 | 2.53% |
2016 | 279,240 | 55.65% | 177,709 | 35.41% | 44,873 | 8.94% |
2012 | 267,928 | 55.30% | 201,839 | 41.66% | 14,717 | 3.04% |
2008 | 243,882 | 49.49% | 232,159 | 47.11% | 16,709 | 3.39% |
2004 | 266,063 | 59.07% | 173,710 | 38.56% | 10,672 | 2.37% |
2000 | 240,178 | 58.44% | 137,126 | 33.36% | 33,693 | 8.20% |
1996 | 179,652 | 44.11% | 167,922 | 41.23% | 59,687 | 14.66% |
1992 | 144,207 | 35.12% | 154,507 | 37.63% | 111,897 | 27.25% |
1988 | 190,412 | 52.07% | 168,936 | 46.20% | 6,326 | 1.73% |
1984 | 232,450 | 60.47% | 146,742 | 38.18% | 5,185 | 1.35% |
1980 | 206,814 | 56.82% | 118,032 | 32.43% | 39,106 | 10.74% |
1976 | 173,703 | 52.84% | 149,259 | 45.40% | 5,772 | 1.76% |
1972 | 183,976 | 57.93% | 120,197 | 37.85% | 13,430 | 4.23% |
1968 | 138,835 | 50.60% | 114,117 | 41.59% | 21,452 | 7.82% |
1964 | 113,032 | 40.57% | 164,246 | 58.95% | 1,350 | 0.48% |
1960 | 141,841 | 51.10% | 134,891 | 48.60% | 847 | 0.31% |
1956 | 154,933 | 57.13% | 116,238 | 42.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 157,394 | 59.39% | 106,213 | 40.07% | 1,430 | 0.54% |
1948 | 96,770 | 43.15% | 119,071 | 53.09% | 8,437 | 3.76% |
1944 | 93,163 | 44.93% | 112,556 | 54.28% | 1,636 | 0.79% |
1940 | 99,579 | 40.17% | 145,698 | 58.78% | 2,596 | 1.05% |
1936 | 63,598 | 27.59% | 159,690 | 69.28% | 7,224 | 3.13% |
1932 | 78,078 | 36.07% | 127,286 | 58.80% | 11,115 | 5.13% |
1928 | 113,300 | 58.37% | 78,578 | 40.48% | 2,230 | 1.15% |
1924 | 74,138 | 42.50% | 33,805 | 19.38% | 66,480 | 38.11% |
1920 | 109,430 | 61.13% | 57,372 | 32.05% | 12,204 | 6.82% |
1916 | 66,750 | 37.57% | 101,063 | 56.88% | 9,866 | 5.55% |
1912 | 18,512 | 23.19% | 27,941 | 35.00% | 33,373 | 41.81% |
1908 | 32,333 | 46.98% | 29,326 | 42.61% | 7,163 | 10.41% |
1904 | 34,932 | 54.21% | 21,773 | 33.79% | 7,739 | 12.01% |
1900 | 25,409 | 39.79% | 37,311 | 58.43% | 1,136 | 1.78% |
1896 | 10,509 | 19.71% | 42,628 | 79.93% | 193 | 0.36% |
1892 | 18,871 | 42.44% | 17,690 | 39.79% | 7,900 | 17.77% |
Elections in Montana |
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![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/MT_county_map_1865.png/220px-MT_county_map_1865.png)
Montana became a territory May 28, 1864 and the first delegation created nine counties: Beaverhead, Big Horn (renamed Custer in 1877), Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, Jefferson, Edgerton (renamed Lewis and Clark in 1867), Madison, and Missoula. Montana became a state on November 8, 1889.
Montana has a history of voters splitting their tickets and filling elected offices with individuals from both parties. Through the mid-20th century, the state had a tradition of "sending the liberals to Washington and the conservatives to Helena". Between 1988 and 2006, the pattern flipped, with voters more likely to elect conservatives to federal offices. There have also been long-term shifts in party control. From 1968 through 1988, the state was dominated by the Democratic Party, with Democratic governors for a 20-year period, and a Democratic majority of both the national congressional delegation and during many sessions of the state legislature. This pattern shifted, beginning with the 1988 election when Montana elected a Republican governor for the first time since 1964 and sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1948. This shift continued with the reapportionment of the state's legislative districts that took effect in 1994, when the Republican Party took control of both chambers of the state legislature, consolidating a Republican party dominance that lasted until the 2004 reapportionment produced more swing districts and a brief period of Democratic legislative majorities in the mid-2000s.
Montana has voted for the Republican nominee in all but two presidential elections since 1952.[2] The state last supported a Democrat for president in 1992, when Bill Clinton won a plurality victory. However, since 1889 the state has voted for Democratic governors 60 percent of the time, and Republican governors 40 percent of the time. In the 2008 presidential election, Montana was considered a swing state and was ultimately won by Republican John McCain by a narrow margin of two percent.
In a 2020 study, Montana was ranked as the 21st easiest state for citizens to vote in.[3]
1890s
[edit]Included representatives from additional territorial counties: Meagher (1866), Dawson (1869), Silver Bow (1881), Yellowstone (1883), Fergus (1885), Park (1887), and Cascade (1887)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/MT_county_map_1890.png/220px-MT_county_map_1890.png)
1892 elections
[edit]1896 elections
[edit]First election to include Flathead, Valley, Teton, Ravalli, Granite, Carbon, and Sweet Grass counties.
1900s
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/MT_county_map_1900.png/220px-MT_county_map_1900.png)
1900 elections
[edit]First election to include Broadwater County
1904 elections
[edit]First election to include Powell and Rosebud counties.
1908 elections
[edit]First election to include Sanders County
1910s
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/MT_county_map_1910.png/220px-MT_county_map_1910.png)
1912 elections
[edit]First election to include Lincoln, Musselshell, Hill and Blaine counties.
1916 elections
[edit]First election to include Big Horn, Stillwater, Sheridan, Fallon, Toole, Richland, Mineral, Wibaux, Phillips, and Prairie counties.
1918 elections
[edit]1920s
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/MT_county_map_1920.png/220px-MT_county_map_1920.png)
1920 elections
[edit]First election to include Liberty, Golden Valley, and Daniels counties.
1922 elections
[edit]1924 elections
[edit]First election to include Judith Basin and Lake counties.
1928 elections
[edit]First election to include Petroleum County.
1930s
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/MT_county_map_1930.png/220px-MT_county_map_1930.png)
1932 elections
[edit]1934 elections
[edit]- United States Senate election in Montana, 1934
- United States Senate special election in Montana, 1934
1936 elections
[edit]1940s
[edit]1940 elections
[edit]1942 elections
[edit]1944 elections
[edit]1946 elections
[edit]1948 elections
[edit]1950s
[edit]1952 elections
[edit]1954 elections
[edit]1956 elections
[edit]1958 elections
[edit]1960s
[edit]1960 elections
[edit]1964 elections
[edit]1966 elections
[edit]1968 elections
[edit]1970s
[edit]1970 elections
[edit]1972 elections
[edit]1976 elections
[edit]1978 elections
[edit]1980s
[edit]1980 elections
[edit]1982 elections
[edit]1984 elections
[edit]1988 elections
[edit]1990s
[edit]1990 elections
[edit]1992 elections
[edit]1994 elections
[edit]1996 elections
[edit]2000s
[edit]2000 elections
[edit]2002 elections
[edit]2004 elections
[edit]2006 elections
[edit]- United States Senate election in Montana, 2006
- United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2006
2008 elections
[edit]- United States presidential election in Montana, 2008
- United States Senate election in Montana, 2008
- United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2008
- Montana Democratic primary, 2008
- Montana Republican caucuses, 2008
- Montana gubernatorial election, 2008
2010s
[edit]2010 elections
[edit]2012 elections
[edit]- 2012 United States presidential election in Montana
- 2012 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2012 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- Montana Republican caucuses, 2012
- 2012 Montana gubernatorial election
2014 elections
[edit]2016 elections
[edit]- 2016 United States presidential election in Montana
- 2016 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2016 Montana gubernatorial election
2018 elections
[edit]- 2018 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2018 United States Senate election in Montana
2020s
[edit]2020 elections
[edit]- 2020 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2020 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2020 Montana gubernatorial election
- 2020 United States presidential election in Montana
2022 elections
[edit]2024 elections
[edit]- 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 2024 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2024 Montana gubernatorial election
- 2024 United States presidential election in Montana
See also
[edit]- Political party strength in Montana
- United States presidential elections in Montana
- Women's suffrage in Montana
References
[edit]- ^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Montana". US Election Atlas. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ Montana 2012 Election 2013.
- ^ J. Pomante II, Michael; Li, Quan (15 Dec 2020). "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020". Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy. 19 (4): 503–509. doi:10.1089/elj.2020.0666. S2CID 225139517. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
Works cited
[edit]- "Montana 2012 Election". 270towin. 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
External links
[edit]- Counties History
- Montana at Ballotpedia
- Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Montana", Voting & Elections Toolkits
- "Montana: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
- "League of Women Voters of Montana". (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
- "State Elections Legislation Database", Ncsl.org, Washington, D.C.: National Conference of State Legislatures,
State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020