Gallatin County · Election Day November 3, 2026
How to vote on the Bozeman charter
What the Bozeman charter question says, which oval does what, and the dates and places you need.
What the ballot says
This is reproduced verbatim from Gallatin County’s published official sample ballot for November 3, 2026. The charter question appears on all 25 City of Bozeman precinct ballot styles, in identical wording and identical order.
Official ballot · Ballot Issues, City of Bozeman
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING CHARTER FORM OF GOVERNMENT
(VOTE IN ONE OVAL)Vote for one:
◯ FOR the existing charter established in 2006.
◯ FOR adoption of the amended charter proposed for the City of Bozeman by the City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission in 2026.
There is no yes or no: both options begin with FOR, a format that comes from Montana’s local-government-review statute. There is also no ballot number or letter (the same ballot carries CI-132, CI-133 and I-194), so look for the caption. Filling the first oval keeps the 2006 charter in force, and it is the only way the ballot lets you decline the 2026 replacement.
Which oval does what
| If you fill | The ballot text | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| The first oval | “FOR the existing charter established in 2006.” | The 2026 draft is not adopted. The 2006 charter stays in force. The three sub-options have no effect regardless of how they are marked. |
| The second oval | “FOR adoption of the amended charter proposed for the City of Bozeman by the City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission in 2026.” | The 2026 draft is adopted, including Article VIII. It would take effect July 1, 2027. Any sub-options that pass are written into it. |
The second oval adopts a specific document. Read the proposed 2026 charter (PDF), or see it on the City of Bozeman website.
This campaign asks you to fill the first oval and keep the charter that is serving Bozeman well. We explain why on our main page.
Most of this is decided in October
Gallatin County mails ballots to absentee voters nearly a month before Election Day. If you are on the absentee list, your charter vote is probably cast in October.
- Ballots due
- Nov 3Your ballot must reach the county by 8 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark is not enough.
- Ballots mailed
- Oct 9Gallatin County mails ballots to absentee voters on October 9, 2026.
- Late registration closes
- Nov 2Temporary close of late registration at 12 p.m. (noon) on November 2, 2026.
- Election Day
- Nov 3Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day registration is available 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Dates as published by the Gallatin County Elections Department. This is not an all-mail election: polling places are open on Election Day, and Election Day registration is available.
Where to go, and what the county requires
Registering after October 5
If you missed the 5 p.m. October 5 deadline you can still register, but you must appear in person. In Bozeman, Gallatin County offers late registration and absentee ballot service at:
| Location | Address | Dates and hours |
|---|---|---|
| Gallatin County Election Department | 311 W. Main St., Rm 210, Bozeman, MT 59715 | Oct 6–30: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon Nov 2: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. (noon) Tue Nov 3: 7 a.m.–8 p.m. |
| MSU Strand Union Building | 751 W. Grant St., Fireplace Room, Bozeman, MT 59715 | Oct 13–30: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Mon Nov 2: 9 a.m.–12 p.m. (noon) Tue Nov 3: 7 a.m.–8 p.m. |
For locations elsewhere in the county, see Gallatin County Elections.
Returning your ballot
Your ballot must reach the county by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. A postmark does not count. If it’s close, drop it off instead of mailing it. You can hand it in at the Gallatin County Election Department, 311 W. Main St., Room 210, during the hours listed above, or at any Gallatin County polling place on Election Day.
Ballot drop-off sites and your polling place depend on your precinct. Look them up on Montana’s My Voter Page, which also lets you confirm your registration, check your ballot’s status and view your own sample ballot.
My Voter Page: find your polling place, drop-off sites and ballot status →
Write your year of birth · HB 719 (2025)
“This law requires voters to provide their year of birth in addition to their signature when returning their by-mail or absentee ballot.”
Why it matters: Gallatin County warns that a missing birth year will cause a ballot to be rejected, and that it must be supplied by 5 p.m. the day after the election for the ballot to count (MCA 13-13-245 and 13-19-313). The county mails a rejection notice and tries to reach voters, but the simplest fix is to fill it in when you sign. The county urges voters to check their ballot status on My Voter Page.
Gallatin County Elections Department, Gallatin County Courthouse, 311 W. Main St., Room 210, Bozeman, MT 59715. Phone 406-582-3060. Office hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Three sub-options, and we take no position on them
Below the charter question your ballot carries three more City of Bozeman questions. They decide how the city commission would be sized and elected, but only if the amended charter is adopted.
Official ballot · Proposed Suboptions in the Amended Charter
“In addition to voting on the amended charter, voters will decide on three separate sub-options. These will only apply if the amended charter passes by an affirmative vote.”
What that means in practice: if the first oval wins and the 2026 charter is not adopted, the sub-options have no effect no matter how they are marked. If it is adopted, whichever selection gets more votes goes into the charter. You may still vote on them. Many voters will want to, in case the charter passes.
| Sub-option | The question | The two choices |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Size of the commission. Independent of the ward questions. | Existing System: four commissioners and the mayor, a five-member body. Expanded System: six commissioners and the mayor, a seven-member body. |
| 2 | Residency requirements of commissioners. | Existing System: commissioners elected at-large and may live anywhere in the city. Wards: commissioners must reside within the ward they represent. |
| 3 | Method of electing commissioners if the ward system is approved. No effect if Sub-option 2 keeps the at-large system. | Elected by all voters: every city voter votes for every ward’s commissioner. Elected by voters residing within the ward: only voters registered in that ward vote for its commissioner. |
The mayor stays elected at large under every combination. If voters approve a larger commission and/or wards, both take effect at the 2029 municipal election: the redistricting timeline makes 2027 impractical.
Our position on the sub-optionsNone. This campaign is about one section of the base charter. Whether Bozeman should have five commissioners or seven, wards or at-large seats, is a separate and legitimate question.
The three sub-options, word for word as printed on the ballot
PROPOSED SUBOPTIONS IN THE AMENDED CHARTER
In addition to voting on the amended charter, voters will decide on three separate sub-options. These will only apply if the amended charter passes by an affirmative vote.
REVISED PLAN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CITY OF BOZEMAN SUB-OPTION 1
(VOTE IN ONE OVAL)
Sub-Option 1: Vote for one:
Sub-option to be included in the amended charter, if it is adopted.
Size of the commission:
◯ FOR Existing System: The commission shall be composed of four (4) members and the mayor.
◯ FOR Expanded System: The commission shall be composed of six (6) members and the mayor.
Keep Our Charter takes no position on this sub-option.
REVISED PLAN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CITY OF BOZEMAN SUB-OPTION 2
(VOTE IN ONE OVAL)
Sub-Option 2: Vote for one:
Sub-option to be included in the amended charter of government, if it is adopted.
Residency requirements of commissioners:
◯ FOR Existing System: Commissioners Elected At-Large. City commissioners may live anywhere in the City of Bozeman.
◯ FOR Commissioners Elected by Wards. City commissioners are required to reside within the ward which they represent.
Keep Our Charter takes no position on this sub-option.
REVISED PLAN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CITY OF BOZEMAN SUB-OPTION 3
(VOTE IN ONE OVAL)
Sub-Option 3: Vote for one:
Sub-option to be included in the amended charter of government, if it is adopted.
Method of electing city commissioners if the ward system is approved:
◯ FOR Elected By all Voters: Each commissioner is elected by all voters in the city.
◯ FOR Elected by Voters Residing Within the Ward: Only voters whose voter registration address is within the specific ward may vote for that ward's commissioner.
Keep Our Charter takes no position on this sub-option.
Source: Gallatin County, 2026 General Sample Ballots (PDF).
Questions
Common questions
How do I vote to keep Bozeman’s 2006 charter?
Fill in the first oval, which reads “FOR the existing charter established in 2006.” There is no yes or no on this ballot. Both choices begin with the word “FOR,” and the first one keeps the 2006 charter and declines the 2026 draft.
Why does the Bozeman charter ballot have no yes or no?
The format comes from Montana’s local-government-review statute. A charter question is presented as two competing affirmative choices, one for the existing charter and one for adoption of the amended charter, rather than as a yes-or-no proposition. There is also no measure number or letter; you find it by the caption “PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING CHARTER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.”
When do I need to vote?
Gallatin County mailed ballots to absentee voters on October 9, 2026. Election Day is November 3, 2026, with polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mailed ballots must reach the county by 8 p.m. that day; a postmark is not enough. Dates, deadlines and locations.
Is it too late to mail my Bozeman ballot?
Your ballot must reach the county by 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2026. A postmark is not enough. If it’s close, drop it off instead of mailing it. You can take it to the Gallatin County Election Department, 311 W. Main St., Room 210, or to any Gallatin County polling place on Election Day. Don’t forget to write your year of birth with your signature.
What is the voter registration deadline in Gallatin County?
Regular registration closes at 5 p.m. on October 5, 2026. After that you may register in person only, through the temporary close of late registration at 12 p.m. (noon) on November 2, and again on Election Day, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Do I have to write my birth year on my Bozeman ballot?
Yes. Montana law effective October 1, 2025 requires voters to provide their year of birth in addition to their signature when returning a by-mail or absentee ballot. Gallatin County says a missing birth year causes the ballot to be rejected, and that it must be supplied by 5 p.m. the day after the election for the ballot to be counted.
Where do I drop off my Bozeman ballot?
Drop-off sites and polling places are assigned by precinct. Look yours up on Montana’s My Voter Page at voterportal.mt.gov, which also shows your registration status, your ballot’s status and your own sample ballot.
Do the sub-options matter if the charter is rejected? What do I do with them?
No, they do not matter if the charter is rejected. The ballot states that the three sub-options “will only apply if the amended charter passes by an affirmative vote.” If you vote to keep the 2006 charter (the first oval, “FOR the existing charter established in 2006”), all three sub-options are void however anyone marks them. You can leave them blank. A blank sub-option does not spoil your ballot, and your charter vote still counts.
Keep Our Charter takes no position on the sub-options. The sub-options, word for word.
Is “FOR Existing System” in the sub-options the same as voting for the 2006 charter?
No. Two of the sub-options have an oval labeled “FOR Existing System,” and neither one is the charter vote. The only oval that keeps the 2006 charter is the first one under “PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING CHARTER FORM OF GOVERNMENT”: “FOR the existing charter established in 2006.” Mark that one.
Did the study commission recommend wards or a bigger city commission?
No. The study commission’s final report recommends the amended charter, but on commission size and wards it only “presents” the options to voters. Two motions to settle the ward question failed on May 20, 2026. The one thing the commission carried, 5-0, was putting the options on your ballot.
This campaign takes no position on the sub-options.
What is the Inter-Neighborhood Council?
It is a council of representatives, one selected by each of Bozeman’s recognized neighborhood associations, and it is not new. Bozeman’s 2006 charter established it (§4.06(d)). What the 2026 draft adds are new duties the city would owe it, including the consult duty in §8.04(d)(7) and the response duty in §8.04(d)(8).
Are neighborhood associations a bad thing?
No. They are a good way for neighbors to organize, and the people who take part do valuable civic work. Voting to keep the 2006 charter keeps neighborhood associations and the INC exactly where they have been for twenty years. We just don’t think a council that speaks for about a third of the city should get a privileged role in decisions for all of it.