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Montana Heads to the Polls Thursday in Tight House Race

Special election will determine who occupies state’s at-large congressional seat

By Tristan Scott
Voters at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. Beacon File Photo

In the waning days leading up to Montana’s May 25 special congressional election, Democrat Rob Quist and Republican Greg Gianforte continue to battle for the Treasure State’s at-large House seat in a high-stakes race that is growing increasingly tight.

Quist, the Creston singer-songwriter, has mounted a strong challenge against Gianforte, the wealthy tech entrepreneur from Bozeman who gained statewide recognition during his unsuccessful bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock last year.

The candidates are running to replace Republican Ryan Zinke, the Whitefish native who left Congress to become interior secretary under the Trump administration, thus leaving the state’s at-large seat vacant and setting a rare special election in motion.

Recent polling shows the House race between Quist and Gianforte has narrowed to the single digits, with Gianforte maintaining a small lead.

Voting is underway across Montana via absentee ballots, which can be returned by mail or filled out in person at the county election department, while polling places will be open beginning at 8 a.m. on election day. The polls close at 8 p.m.

As of May 21, 698,919 members of Montana’s 804,400 voting eligible population were registered to vote. Of the 352,867 absentee ballots mailed out, 226,554 had been returned, according to the latest figures from the Montana Secretary of State’s website.

In Flathead County, where 68,152 voters are registered, 28,090 absentee ballots were sent out, while 17,643 had been returned as of May 21.

It is too late to mail absentee ballots. They should be dropped off by hand at the Flathead County Election Department.

Both Quist and Gianforte have enjoyed support from national figures, including Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump Jr. on the Republican side, and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democrat.

Libertarian candidate Mark Wicks, a rancher from Inverness, rounds out the ballot, and although he’s considered a long shot to win the race, his strong performance at the race’s sole debate for the seat earned him an uptick in popularity.

A complete list of polling places is available at https://flathead.mt.gov/election/