The upcoming 2024 Presidential Election is sure to be one for the history books. As Americans, one of our great privileges is the ability to vote, so as Election Day approaches one must ask…Who is running and will you vote? For some people, voting is an easy choice, while for others it's more complicated—especially for young voters such as myself. Our problems can be myriad: some people are not registered, unaware if they are old enough to vote, or unsure who is running, and what each candidate stands for. 

So here are some simple facts about the 2024 Presidential Election here in Montana according to the U.S. government.

Firstly, you need to be born on or before November 5, 2006, a U.S citizen, a resident of Montana for at least 30 days. Furthermore, you must have not been convicted of a felony or have been judged in a court of law to not be of sound mind to be eligible to vote. 

Secondly, to register you must either complete an online registration form and mail it in, or head to your county courthouse. For Gallatin County residents, that is the Gallatin County Court House, and from there, one must complete a registration form which will require one of the following: a Montana drivers license, Montana ID card, United States Passport, or other government issued document. 

Lastly, there is the question of who to vote for and when Election Day takes place. At the time of writing, there are thirteen Republican candidates running for president according to Ballotpedia, a U.S. politics encyclopedia, which include former president Donald Trump, Ryan Binkley, Doug Burgum, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Larry Elder, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Perry Johnson, Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, and Corey Stapleton. 

On the other hand, there are just two Democratic candidates running, which are president Joe Biden, Marianne Williamson; and one independent candidate running, which is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While that might seem like a long list now, remember that many of them will drop out in the coming year as each political party picks their main candidate through primary elections and caucus debates. Additionally, the presidential election in Montana will take place on November 5, 2024, along with 49 other states and the District of Columbia according to Ballotpedia. 

Don’t just take my word for it. Please look for reputable sources such as usa.gov, the United States government’s website, for further information about voting and the 2024 Presidential Election, or sosmt.gov for election information specific to Montana. Along with unbiased sources such Ballotpedia for information about each individual candidate's views and biographies.