HELENA — MISSOULA — Across the state, voters headed to the polls on Tuesday to participate in the state’s primary election, casting their ballots on issues ranging from affordability to energy and the environment.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, 238,125 absentee ballots had already been returned and logged by the Montana Secretary of State’s office. More than a half-million Montanans vote with absentee ballots and initial primary results are expected around 8 p.m.

But for some, like Colleen Murphy, a longtime Helena Democrat, voting in-person on Election Day means something. She was gathering signatures for the Transparent Election Initiative outside of the Helena Civic Center, which is also a polling location. She’d voted in person earlier in the day, she said.

“It’s my civic responsibility to walk through those doors,” said Murphy, 68, who cast her first ballot for Jimmy Carter. “People risk their lives to walk into a polling place in other places.”

Murphy said she felt what she called a lack of “polite and respectful leadership” that she said is missing at the federal level. She also expressed worries about threats to the environment and said she was concerned at changes she’s seeing in policy around that at both the state and federal level.

There’s also a stark difference between the parties, she said.

“I think that where Democrats fail is that we’re a big tent and we believe that all citizens are entitled to equal rights and equal protection under the law,” Murphy said. “The other side decides certain classes of people or certain types of people don’t, and so Democrats have a big tent, and sometimes it’ll be like an Achilles heel.” 

Affordability was a major concern for voters too, something both Murphy and Ellie Brighton, 24, who cast her ballot at the Helena City-County Building, mentioned.

“Prices are rising for everyone,” Brighton said.

Brighton, who voted in the Republican primary, she said, added she liked what Troy Downing had done for agricultural interests around the state. Brighton also said there were not many candidates who stood out to her on her ballot and added she felt there was a lack of campaigning, making it difficult to know who to vote for.

“I also think we’re kind of in a time where things are contentious,” Brighton said, “So who’s going to work with everybody and really focus on issues that matter more than things that are just in the news or a big deal with talking points?”

Polling places across Helena were processing as normal, and at about 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday there were about 10 people in line dealing with ballot issues at Helena’s City-County building.

At the Missoula County Elections Center, a short line had formed there by early afternoon, with a crowded western district U.S. House race on the line.

The line kept moving, and Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman said that’s what he wanted to see, people served within five to 10 minutes.

“The traffic and flow here is really good,” Seaman said.

As of early Tuesday afternoon, ballot returns were at 42%, “pretty darn good,” Seaman said. Overall turnout around the same time was roughly 30%.

By comparison, in 2022, overall turnout was 37%.

Mark Berner II rolled up on his bicycle to drop off his ballot, and he said he switches back and forth between driving his truck and riding his bicycle because “gas prices suck.”

The issue he pointed to as most important in this election is protecting the environment, but he said he was voting mostly to exercise the right to do so while it was still available.

Berner, of Missoula, said all political sides were corrupting politics, and he named MAGA in particular.

“I’m not really sure how much I believe in our democracy these days,” Berner said.

Carly Dillis, of Missoula, cited health care as a top concern, but she said this primary feels especially important to her because so many people, including people in her life, are under so much pressure.

“This feels more like showing up for the people in my life in a more personal way than it has in the past,” Dillis said. “Politics don’t really feel abstract to me. They never really have, but they definitely don’t right now.”

Dillis pointed to protecting people who are transgender, health care, and public land as priorities. One of her jobs is as a farmer.

Dillis said she and multiple friends have lost insurance, and the one she was able to secure is “much worse” than before.

“So my health care costs are way higher, and I can’t afford to take care of the things that I need to be seen for,” Dillis said.

Dillis said her friends are feeling similar challenges.

“Almost all of my friends have had health care issues in the past year, and no one can afford to live,” Dillis said.