Welcome to the Exponent’s 2025 Election Edition

Bobcats, it’s almost time to cast your ballots for the 2025 Bozeman municipal election!

Voting in municipal elections is essential to civic engagement because local government directly impacts your daily life — in some ways, more than the federal government. Our local officials make decisions on community spending, essential services and local laws and policies. While federal elections generally get more attention, it’s often municipal elections that can directly impact issues closer to home.

This year, it will be a mail-in election, which means no polling locations will be open. The mail-in ballot date has already passed, but you can turn in your ballot to the Gallatin County Elections Office. If you have not received a ballot to vote or you were not previously registered, you can register to vote in person at the elections office during business hours. On Nov. 3, voter registration will be closed for the day, but you can register and vote on Election Day, Nov. 4.

No matter how you’re voting, your ballot must reach the Gallatin County Elections Office by 8 p.m. on Nov. 4. Here’s a short overview of what’s on the ballot this year. 

Three candidates — Douglas Fischer, John Meyer and Brendan O’Connor — are vying to be Bozeman’s next mayor. Six candidates are running to fill two open City Commission seats: Eli Anselmi, Roger Blank, Emma Bode, Trevor Nameniuk, Alison Sweeney and Emily Talago. This year, the municipal judge candidate, Colleen Herrington, is running unopposed. There’s also an important initiative on the ballot regarding water rights and housing development that you’ll want to look out for. But don’t worry, because the Exponent is here to help you make an informed vote!

Inside this edition, you’ll find all of the candidates speaking to you in the form of questionnaires. Candidates were given three weeks to respond to our questionnaire and were given word counts for each response. The questionnaires and our stories are published in full on the Exponent website as well as our print copies.

By no means is this an exhaustive account of all of the policy positions and ideas supported by the candidates. It’s our hope, however, that this concise guide to candidates’ ideas — in their own words — can help you decide who you want to vote for. Questionnaires were only edited for spelling and punctuation to allow candidates to speak to you, the reader, candidly. 

To check whether you’re registered to vote or to check the status of your ballot, visit the Montana Secretary of State’s website at https://prodvoterportal.mt.gov/WhereToVote.aspx.

So, Bobcats, get to reading and remember to submit your ballots by 8 p.m. on Nov. 4. Your voice matters, so make sure it’s heard. 

Questionnaires organized by Molly Houser, Will Malizia, Connor McLean and Amanda Fulton.