Click here for the 2022 Election Voter’s Guide
The upcoming general election will take place on Tuesday, November 8, with candidates for the US House of Representatives, US Supreme Court, and MT Congress on the ballot. There will also be two ballot initiatives LR-131 and CA-48. Absentee Ballots get mailed out on October 14.
Check voting information here: https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo. If you are not registered to vote, need to update your address, or request an absentee ballot you can do so in person at the Yellowstone County Courthouse.
What the heck is a MT House Representative?
Montana’s legislature impacts taxes, gun control, voting access, abortion access, and the legality of marijuana. Voting in this election determines the legislators and therefore legislation passed in January and the next 640 days until the next session.
Montana’s legislature functions similarly to the US House of Representatives. It has 50 senators and 100 house representatives elected by Montanans statewide. Senators serve 4 year terms and representatives serve 2 year terms. They meet for a regular session every odd year in January for 90 days.
Find your legislative district: https://leg.mt.gov/map/
What the heck is a US House Representative?
U.S. House Representatives is one of the two chambers of the U.S. Congress, the other being the senate. The Congress is a part of the Federal government’s legislative branch that creates and passes laws.
Members of the House are elected to 2 year terms. The requirements for running for the U.S. House of Representatives are you must be 25 years old, and have been a United States citizen for 7 years, as well as be a resident of the state you seek to represent.
The number of House representatives a state gets depends on their population, currently there are 435 representatives. Montana is currently counted as one big congressional district due to its population, thus we have two congressional representatives.
United States House Representatives can vote on federal legislation, can initiate bills relating to revenue, and impeach federal officials. Congress is the closest that United States citizens get to direct representation. Our vote for the President is filtered through the Electoral College, but our vote for our local Congressman directly affects our welfare. It also ensures that our federal politicians are accountable to the local level.
Eastern District Candidates:
Matt Rosendale (Republican) (Incumbent) https://mattformontana.com/
Penny Ronnings (Democrat) https://www.pennyronning.com/
Gary Buchannan (Independent) https://www.buchananformontana.com/
Sam Rankin (Libertarin) https://rankinforcongress.com/