Missoula County recruiting election judges for 2026 season

(Missoula Current) With a new season looming, the Missoula County Elections is looking to recruit more than 500 judges to fill a number of roles throughout 2026, from greeting voters to staffing ballot locations.

Judges are paid for their service and training.

“It takes a community-wide effort to conduct fair and organized elections,” said Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman. “Election judges are champions of the election process who play a crucial role in ensuring the strength and integrity of the voting process by upholding election law and providing friendly customer service.”

Judges are asked to work either a full or half shift on Election Day for both the June primary and November general elections.

The base wage for election judges starts at $10.85 an hour, which increases for positions that require more responsibility and training, such as poll book judges and polling place managers.

Election judges are often assigned to their neighborhood polling place, and they also help process absentee ballots in the counting center.

“Many of the best election judge candidates are currently working in our community,” Seaman said. “When businesses support employees’ service in the election process, we can recruit and train judges who would otherwise be unavailable.”

Judges must be at least 18 years old, registered to vote in Missoula County. New and returning judges can sign up for election judge training at missoulaelectionjudge.com.

Applicants will be required to complete a form and must provide their name, address and date of birth to verify they are registered to vote in Missoula County.