Election Edition 2022

Bobcats, it’s that time of year again: election season. Time to whip out your fanciest ballot-bubbling pen, flex your wrists and cast your votes in time for the 2022 midterm election.

There’s no flexible deadlines here — this isn’t a project we can procrastinate on. Whether you’re voting in person or by mail, your ballot must reach the Gallatin County Elections Office or a ballot drop-off location by 8 p.m. sharp on Nov. 8. And you’ve got quite a few races to contemplate. Here’s a short lineup:

Three candidates, John Lamb, Ryan Zinke and Monica Tranel, are sparring for election to the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana’s new western congressional district. It’s one of two districts established after the 2020 U.S. Census showed the state population had grown large enough for two representatives in congress.

Montanans will elect justices for two state Supreme Court seats this year, casting their ballots in two formally non-partisan races invaded by partisan politics.

Gallatin County is teeming with candidates competing for seats in the Montana Legislature. Some are vying for the Senate, and more for the House of Representatives (two house districts make one senate district). You’re bound to see a couple of these races show up on your ballot, depending on which district you live in.

And there’s more. Voters will also be deciding who gets elected to a wide swath of county government positions, including commissioner, attorney, clerk and recorder and superintendent of schools.

That’s a tall order. But don’t worry, the Exponent is here to help. In our Election Edition, published today, you’ll find many of these candidates speaking to you in the form of questionnaires about how they plan to approach their position if elected to office and why they think you should vote for them.

Candidates were given two weeks to respond to the questionnaire, and were limited to 200 words per response. The answers published in our print and e-edition were selected from the larger questionnaires for each race. Grab a print copy on campus to see those responses and get the lowdown on the politics of this year’s election and the measures on the ballot. The questionnaires are published in full on our “Election Edition” tab.

Not all of the candidates responded, despite multiple emails and phone calls, and by no means is this an exhaustive account of all of the policy positions and ideas supported by the candidates in a particular race. It’s our hope, however, that this concise guide to candidates’ ideas in their own words can serve as a useful resource for you to decide who you want to vote for.

You’ll also find stories about the ballot measures up for a vote, the U.S. House election, politics in a Supreme Court race and how to register to vote. Don’t forget that last step. To check whether you’re registered to vote, visit the Montana Secretary of State’s website at sosmt.gov.

So get to reading, and remember, Bobcats, to submit your ballots by 8 p.m. on Nov. 8.

Questionnaires organized by Evan Hansen, Emma Fry, Christina Gibbs, Jackson Sledge and Gabe Barnard