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Elections in Montana

United States presidential election results for Montana[1]
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%
Original 9 Montana counties

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]

  1. ^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Montana". US Election Atlas. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  2. ^ Montana 2012 Election 2013.
  3. ^ 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.