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Presidential election in Montana, 2020

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Montana
2020 presidential election

Democratic primary: June 2, 2020
Democratic winner: Joe Biden

Republican primary: June 2, 2020
Republican winner: Donald Trump

Electoral College: Three votes
2020 winner: Donald Trump (R)
2016 winner: Donald Trump (R)
2012 winner: Mitt Romney (R)

Presidential election by state, 2020

President Donald Trump (R) won the presidential election in Montana on November 3, 2020. Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) won the presidential election with 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232 electoral votes.

The Democratic and Republican parties held primary elections in Montana on June 2, 2020. Biden won the Democratic primary, and Trump won the Republican primary.[1][2]

Montana was one of seven states with three votes in the Electoral College, making it tied for fewest. Montana was carried by the Republican presidential candidate in every election between 1996 and 2016; the last Democrat to carry the state was Bill Clinton (D). Between 1900 and 2016, Montana backed the Republican presidential candidate in 66.67% of elections and the Democratic candidate in 33.33%.

In the 2016 election, Trump carried Montana with 56.2% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's (D) 35.7% and Gary Johnson's (L) 5.6%.

This page includes the following sections:

Candidates and election results

General election


Presidential election in Montana, 2020
 
Candidate/Running mate
%
Popular votes
Electoral votes
✔
Image of
Image of
Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R)
 
56.9
 
343,602 3
Image of
Image of
Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D)
 
40.5
 
244,786 0
Image of
Image of
Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L)
 
2.5
 
15,252 0
  Other write-in votes
 
0.0
 
55 0

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 603,695



Primary election

Montana Democratic presidential primary on June 2, 2020
 
Candidate
%
Votes
Pledged delegates
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Official_portrait_of_Vice_President_Joe_Biden.jpg
Joe Biden
 
74.5
 
111,706 18
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Bernie_Sanders.jpg
Bernie Sanders
 
14.7
 
22,033 1
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Elizabeth_Warren--Official_113th_Congressional_Portrait--.jpg
Elizabeth Warren
 
8.0
 
11,984 0
  Other
 
2.8
 
4,250 0

 Source

Total votes: 149,973 • Total pledged delegates: 19


Montana Republican presidential primary on June 2, 2020
 
Candidate
%
Votes
Pledged delegates
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/473px-Official_Portrait_of_President_Donald_Trump.jpg
Donald Trump
 
93.8
 
200,174 27
  Other
 
6.2
 
13,184 0

 Source

Total votes: 213,358 • Total pledged delegates: 27


Government response to coronavirus pandemic in Montana

Summary of changes to election dates and procedures

Montana modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Counties were authorized to conduct the general election entirely by mail.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Frequently asked questions

See also: Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk: Presidential election

The 2020 election took place against a backdrop of uncertainty. Our readers had questions about what to expect in elections at all levels of government, from the casting of ballots to the certification of final results. Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk was designed to answer those questions. Ballotpedia is in the process of compiling and answering frequently asked questions related to the 2020 elections. Questions related to this election will be available soon.


Additional resources

Democratic primary

See also: Democratic presidential nomination, 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Montana held its Democratic primary election on June 2, 2020.
  • Montana had an estimated 25 delegates comprised of 19 pledged delegates and six superdelegates. Delegate allocation was proportional.
  • The Democratic primary was open, meaning all voters were able to vote in the election.


    • Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) was formally nominated as the Democratic presidential nominee at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on August 18, 2020.[3] The convention was originally scheduled to take place July 13-16, 2020.[4] Organizers postponed the event in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. In 2020, a Democratic presidential candidate needed support from 1,991 delegates to secure the nomination.

    With the plurality of pledged delegates, Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee on April 8, 2020, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended his presidential campaign.[5] Biden crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination on June 5, 2020.[6]

    Biden announced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020. Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.[7]

    Republican primary

    See also: Republican presidential nomination, 2020
    HIGHLIGHTS
  • Montana held its Republican primary election on June 2, 2020.
  • Montana had an estimated 27 delegates. Delegate allocation was winner-takes-all.
  • The Republican primary was open, meaning all voters were able to vote in the election.


    • The Republican Party selected President Donald Trump as its presidential nominee at the 2020 Republican National Convention, which was held from August 24-27, 2020.[8]

    Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. Trump crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination—1,276 delegates—on March 17, 2020.

    George H.W. Bush (R) was the last incumbent to face a serious primary challenge, defeating political commentator Pat Buchanan in 1992. He was also the last president to lose his re-election campaign. Franklin Pierce (D) was the first and only elected president to lose his party's nomination in 1856.[9]

    Sixteen U.S. presidents—approximately one-third—have won two consecutive elections.



    Candidate filing requirements

    See also: Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Montana

    The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Montana in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Montana, click here.

    Presidential primary candidates

    Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Montana, 2020
    State Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Montana Qualified political parties N/A N/A $1,740.00 Fixed by statute 3/9/2020 Source

    Independent presidential candidates

    Filing requirements for independent candidates in Montana, 2020
    State Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Montana 5,000 5% of all votes cast for the successful candidate for governor at the last general election, or 5,000, whichever is less N/A N/A 8/19/2020[10] Source

    Historical election results

    2016

    General election

    U.S. presidential election, Montana, 2016
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 35.7% 177,709 0
         Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump/Mike Pence 56.2% 279,240 3
         Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 5.6% 28,037 0
         Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 1.6% 7,970 0
         American Delta Roque De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg 0.3% 1,570 0
         - Other/Write-in 0.5% 2,621 0
    Total Votes 497,147 3
    Election results via: Federal Election Commission

    Primary election

    Montana Democratic Primary, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngBernie Sanders 51.6% 65,156 11
    Hillary Clinton 44.2% 55,805 10
    Other 4.3% 5,415 0
    Totals 126,376 21
    Source: The New York Times and Montana Secretary of State


    Montana Republican Primary, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump 73.7% 115,594 27
    Ted Cruz 9.4% 14,682 0
    John Kasich 6.9% 10,777 0
    Jeb Bush 2.1% 3,274 0
    Marco Rubio 3.3% 5,192 0
    Other 4.7% 7,369 0
    Totals 156,888 27
    Source: The New York Times and Montana Secretary of State

    2012

    U.S. presidential election, Montana, 2012
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Barack Obama/Joe Biden Incumbent 41.7% 201,839 0
         Republican Green check mark transparent.pngMitt Romney/Paul Ryan 55.4% 267,928 3
         Libertarian Gary Johnson/James Gray 2.9% 14,165 0
    Total Votes 483,932 3
    Election results via: Montana Secretary of State

    2008

    U.S. presidential election, Montana, 2008
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Barack Obama/Joe Biden 47.3% 231,667 0
         Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohn McCain/Sarah Palin 49.5% 242,763 3
         Independent Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez 0.8% 3,686 0
         Libertarian Bob Barr/Wayne Root 0.3% 1,355 0
         Constitution Ron Paul/Michael Peroutka 2.2% 10,638 0
    Total Votes 490,109 3
    Election results via: Montana Secretary of State

    Presidential statewide margins of victory of 5 percentage points or fewer, 1948-2016

    See also: Presidential statewide margins of victory of 5 percentage points or fewer, 1948-2016

    The following map shows the number of times, in presidential elections held between 1948 and 2016, that the margin of victory was 5 percentage points or fewer in each state.

    • Wisconsin was the state with the most frequently narrow margins during this time period, appearing on the list in 10 presidential elections.
    • Five states appeared eight times: Florida, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
    • The state with the narrowest margin of victory was Florida in 2000 at 537 votes or one-hundredth of a percentage point.

    Historical election trends

    See also: Presidential voting history by state

    Montana presidential election results (1900-2024)

    • 10 Democratic wins
    • 21 Republican wins
    Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
    Winning Party D R R D D R R R D D D D D R R R D R R R R R R D R R R R R R R R


    See also: Presidential election accuracy

    Below is an analysis of Montana's voting record in presidential elections. The state's accuracy is based on the number of times a state has voted for a winning presidential candidate. The majority of statistical data is from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled, here, by Ballotpedia, unless otherwise noted.

    Presidential election voting record in Montana, 1900-2016

    Between 1900 and 2016:

    • Montana participated in 30 presidential elections.
    • Montana voted for the winning presidential candidate 80 percent of the time. The average accuracy of voting for winning presidential candidates for all 50 states in this time frame was 72.31 percent.[11]
    • Montana voted Democratic 33.33 percent of the time and Republican 66.67 percent of the time.

    Presidential election voting record in Montana, 2000-2016

    *An asterisk indicates that that candidate also won the national electoral vote in that election.

    State profile

    See also: Montana and Montana elections, 2019
    USA Montana location map.svg

    Partisan data

    The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019

    Presidential voting pattern

    • Montana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    State legislature

    Montana Party Control: 1992-2025
    No Democratic trifectas  •  Fifteen years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R
    Senate D D D R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House D R R R R R R R R R R R R S S R R S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

    Montana quick stats
    More Montana coverage on Ballotpedia:


    Demographic data for Montana
     MontanaU.S.
    Total population:1,032,073316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):145,5463,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:89.2%73.6%
    Black/African American:0.5%12.6%
    Asian:0.7%5.1%
    Native American:6.5%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
    Two or more:2.5%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:3.3%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:92.8%86.7%
    College graduation rate:29.5%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$47,169$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:17%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Montana.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


    Presidential election by state

    See also: Presidential election by state, 2020

    Click on a state below to navigate to information about the presidential election in that jurisdiction.

    https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_election_in_STATE,_2020

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ The New York Times, "Montana Presidential Democratic Primary Election Results," accessed June 2, 2020
    2. ↑ The New York Times, "Montana Presidential Republican Primary Election Results," accessed June 2, 2020
    3. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "2020 DNC in Milwaukee pushed back to week of August 17 in response to coronavirus pandemic," April 2, 2020
    4. ↑ The New York Times, "Milwaukee Picked as Site of 2020 Democratic National Convention," March 11, 2019
    5. ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Bernie Sanders Ends 2020 Bid, Making Biden Presumptive Dem Nominee," April 8, 2020
    6. ↑ AP, "Biden formally clinches Democratic presidential nomination," June 5, 2020
    7. ↑ CNBC, "Joe Biden picks Sen. Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate, making her the first black woman on a major ticket," August 11, 2020
    8. ↑ Charlotte Observer, "Here’s when the 2020 Republican National Convention will be in Charlotte," October 1, 2018
    9. ↑ NPR, "When Has A President Been Denied His Party's Nomination?" July 22, 2009
    10. ↑ Deadline to file petitions with county officials for signature verification: 8/12/2020
    11. ↑ This average includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which did not participate in all 30 presidential elections between 1900 and 2016. It does not include Washington, D.C., which cast votes for president for the first time in 1964, or Alaska and Hawaii, which cast votes for president for the first time in 1960.
    12. ↑ This number refers to the number of times that the state voted for the winning presidential candidate between 2000 and 2016.
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