Judge blocks Montana election law, county officials warn voters of changes

Helena voters still have time to register at the county election office, but the rules changed fast enough to leave some households with outdated instructions in the mail. State District Judge Adam Larsen blocked Senate Bill 490 with a preliminary injunction in May 2026, stopping a law that would have cut off Election Day registration at noon and eliminated Monday-before registration for federal elections.

For now, Montana has gone back to its older schedule. Voters can still register and vote at county election offices until 8 p.m. on Election Day, as long as they are in line by the close of voting hours. They can also register from 8 a.m. to noon the day before. That matters in Lewis and Clark County because local election staff are the people answering the phones, updating guidance and telling voters not to rely on the blocked law.

The timing is especially sensitive with the June 2, 2026, Montana primary approaching. The Montana Secretary of State’s Office mailed a postcard explaining the now-blocked changes, including the Saturday registration option that SB 490 would have added. That means some voters may have received information that no longer matches the rules now in force. County officials are trying to blunt that confusion before it reaches the polls and the front counter at the Lewis and Clark County Elections Office.

SB 490 was sponsored by Sen. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, and was meant to tighten the registration window after complaints about long lines. Supporters pointed to Gallatin County in 2024, when some voters reportedly waited past midnight and as late as 4 a.m. to register and cast ballots. Judge Larsen’s order, however, kept Montana’s longstanding same-day registration practice in place while the lawsuit continues.

The ruling also fits into a broader legal fight over access to the ballot. In March 2024, the Montana Supreme Court struck down four 2021 election laws, including a ban on same-day registration, saying Election Day registration had been used in Montana for nearly two decades and had become widely popular. The Montana Federation of Public Employees brought the current lawsuit against the state and Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, arguing the new restrictions would undercut a basic voting right.

A coalition of tribal governments and Native voting advocates also moved to intervene, including the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Blackfeet Nation, the Fort Belknap Indian Community, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and Western Native Voice. That challenge reflects the stakes in rural Montana, where transportation, distance and mail delays can make a shorter registration window harder to navigate. For Lewis and Clark County voters, the immediate rule is simple: the blocked law is not in effect, and same-day registration remains open through the June 2 primary under the old deadlines.