Buffalo, Montana Public Records

Residents can register to vote online through the Montana Secretary of State's website at https://sosmt.gov/elections/voter, or by submitting a paper form to the Fergus County elections office. Montana law requires registration by 5:00 PM on the day before Election Day, making the state one of the most voter-friendly with effectively same-day registration. Voters must provide a Montana driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering. Photo identification is required at the polls, driver's licenses, tribal ID cards, student ID cards, or other government-issued photo ID are accepted. Late registrants who register on Election Day or the day before must show proof of residency such as a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck with their current Montana address. As an unincorporated community, Buffalo has no municipal elections, mayoral races, or city council contests. Residents vote in federal elections (President, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives), state elections (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, state legislature), and Fergus County elections (County Commissioners, Sheriff, County Attorney, Clerk and Recorder, Treasurer, Assessor, and other county offices). Montana holds state and county primary elections in June of even-numbered years and general elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. School district trustee elections for rural districts serving the area typically occur in May. Residents can find their assigned polling place through the Montana Secretary of State's polling place locator at https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo or by contacting the Fergus County elections office at (406) 535-3612. The county typically establishes polling locations in community centers, schools, and government buildings, with Buffalo-area voters potentially assigned to a site in or near their community depending on precinct boundaries. Montana offers absentee voting for any registered voter who requests a ballot, no excuse required. Absentee ballot applications can be submitted online through the Secretary of State website, by contacting the Fergus County elections office, or by written request. Absentee ballots are typically mailed beginning 30 days before an election and must be received by 8:00 PM on Election Day to be counted. Montana has increasingly used mail ballot systems, and some counties including Fergus have moved toward all-mail elections for certain contests. Montana public records law makes extensive election information publicly accessible. Voter registration lists are public records available from county election offices, though they cannot be used for commercial purposes. Campaign finance reports for candidates and political committees are filed with and searchable through the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices at https://politicalpractices.mt.gov, showing contributions, expenditures, and donors for all state and local campaigns. Candidate filings, including declarations of candidacy and petitions, are public records maintained by the Fergus County elections office for county races and by the Secretary of State for state races. Complete precinct-by-precinct election results are published by the county and Secretary of State following certification of each election. Montana's Montana voters will elect a new U.S. Representative for Montana's 2nd Congressional District, which includes Fergus County, in 2026.Current federal, state, and local election schedules, ballot contests, candidate filings, and certified results for Buffalo voters are published by the Montana Secretary of State Elections (https://sosmt.gov/elections/).