Montana Judge Strikes Down Ballot Envelope Birth Year Requirement

An absentee ballot requirement that has resulted in thousands of Montana votes being thrown out since 2025 was ruled unconstitutional on Monday, October 5th by a state judge.

At issue is the requirement that voters write their birth year on absentee ballot return envelopes. In his Monday ruling, Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Mike Menahan said the requirement had disenfranchised nearly 6,000 Montana voters since it was created by the 2025 Legislature.

The ruling means that 2026 general election ballot envelopes missing the birth year won’t be rejected. The first day voters could w...