1. (1) An applicant for voter registration must provide all required information on the voter registration application, and county election administrators, election deputies, and election workers shall enter the information from each completed voter registration application into the statewide voter registration system as provided in this chapter.

2. (2) County election administrators, election deputies, and election workers processing and entering the information from an application for voter registration into the statewide voter registration system shall:

   1. (a) Enter the Montana driver's license number, Montana state identification card number, or the last four digits of the social security number when provided by the applicant on the voter registration application into the voter registration system maintained by the election administrator in a field provided for the number; or
   2. (b) If the applicant was unable to provide one of the numbers in (2)(a), select the description of the form of identification required in ARM 44.3.2002, provided by the applicant on the voter registration application, in the voter registration system maintained by the election administrator; and
   3. (c) With respect to confidential or private numbers or information protected from disclosure under ARM 44.3.1102(1)(e) and (3), ensure the numbers or information provided pursuant to (2)(a) and (b) remain accessible only by county or state election officials in the discharge of their official duties and, when applicable, by the authorized staff of the Office of the Secretary of State.
3. (3) County election administrators, election deputies, and election workers shall utilize the applicant's Montana driver's license number, Montana state identification card number, or the last four digits of the applicant's social security number when provided in the voter registration application as a unique identifier in addition to the voter registration number assigned to the elector.

4. (4) An applicant for voter registration who does not complete all required fields on the application shall be added to the voter registration system with a “pending” status. If an application lacks sufficient information to be added to the voter registration system, the election administrator, election deputy, or election worker shall make their best effort to return the form to the applicant for completion.

   1. (a) Upon entering a pending applicant into the voter registration system, the election administrator, election deputy, or election worker shall make their best effort to contact the applicant and request the information or documentation missing from the voter registration application.
   2. (b) Upon receipt and verification of the information or documentation missing from a pending applicant’s voter registration application, the election administrator, election deputy, or election worker shall complete the registration as provided in this chapter and shall change the record to reflect the elector's active status.
   3. (c) If the applicant does not respond to the election administrator, election deputy, or election worker’s contact efforts within 30 days, the record shall be canceled due to the incomplete registration.

5. (5) An applicant for voter registration who completes all required fields on the application, but whose identification is unable to be verified per 13-2-107(3), MCA, shall be added to the voter registration system with a “provisional” status.

   1. (a) Upon entering a provisional applicant into the voter registration system, the election administrator, election deputy, or election worker shall make their best effort to contact the applicant to confirm the identification information provided.
   2. (b) Upon receipt and verification as required under ARM 44.3.2011 of the information or documentation missing from a provisional applicant’s voter registration application, the election administrator, election deputy, or election worker shall complete the registration as provided in this chapter and shall change the record to reflect the elector's active status.
   3. (c) If the applicant does not respond to the election administrator, election deputy, or election worker’s contact efforts within 30 days, the record shall be canceled due to the incomplete registration.
6. (6) The election administrator, election deputy, or election worker shall document the effort made to contact the applicant to resolve incomplete applications or unverified identification in the applicant’s record in the voter registration system.
7. (7) The election administrator shall conduct an annual review of records in the voter registration system marked as “provisional” or “pending” and ensure the necessary actions are taken in accordance with this rule to resolve their status.

Authorizing statute(s): 13-2-109, MCA

Implementing statute(s): 13-2-110, 13-2-208, MCA

History: NEW, 2004 MAR p. 93, Eff. 1/16/04; AMD, 2006 MAR p. 2671, Eff. 10/27/06; AMD, 2008 MAR p. 1329, Eff. 6/27/08; AMD, 2010 MAR p. 1545, Eff. 6/25/10; AMD, 2013 MAR p. 1628, Eff. 9/6/13; AMD, 2022 MAR p. 169, Eff. 1/29/22; AMD, 2025 MAR, Notice No. 2025-318, Eff. 11/8/25.