Montana Judge Blocks Limit on Student Voter Registration
A Montana state judge has blocked, for now, a state restriction on voter registration for some college students. The ruling came after a student advocacy group sued over the rule, according to NPR.
The restriction was passed by the Montana Legislature in 2025. It applies to people who are "temporary" residents in an "educational program." Under the law, those students could register to vote in a Montana county only if they intended to make that county or the state their permanent home when their program ended.
With the restriction blocked, the earlier rules remain in place for Montana students who want to register. That includes the midterm elections, up through Election Day.
Under state law, a U.S. citizen who is 18 or older and has lived in Montana for at least 30 days is generally eligible to register there. Like owners of more than one home, many students can choose which of their residences to use as their legal home, or domicile, for voting. Students who are choosing between Montana and their home state can generally be registered and vote in only one place.
The issue has a long history in federal law. A 1979 U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirmed the right of eligible students to register to vote where they live during the school year.
Election Day registration has also been before the courts this year. In May, a Montana judge blocked the state from limiting voter registration on Election Day, according to the Associated Press.
A court hearing on the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment, a request asking the court to decide the case without a full trial, was scheduled for October 15, 2026. The Montana law was first challenged in that case.
For people who want to register, NPR has published a guide to registering to vote in Montana online, in person or by mail, with the deadlines for each.
