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(Big Sky Connection) Labor Day typically kicks the campaign season into high gear in an election year as candidates sprint to the finish line.

Montana has traditionally voted for Republicans but some Democrats are trying to bring critical issues like health care and housing to the forefront. Montana added nearly 20,000 residents in the year prior to the pandemic, a modest rise by some western state standards but a majority of the growth is happening in small urban centers like Bozeman and Billings.

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Anja Wookey-Huffman, a Montana delegate to the recent Democratic National Convention, said growth is putting a strain on parts of the economy and is affecting peoples' ability to come to the state.

"There's a lot of questions about the affordability of living in our state," Wookey-Huffman pointed out. "And the livability for a lot of people, like, I personally work as a service worker and this idea of one job providing a livable wage is something that feels out of reach for a lot of people."

The registration deadline to vote in this year's election is October 7.

Outside the urban areas seeing a housing crunch, Wookey-Huffman noted Montana's rural voters are concerned about access to health care and its cost.

"As well as maintaining quality public education," Wookey-Huffman added. "Those are things that support any community and making sure that people continue to have access to quality health care that's affordable and access to quality education is really key."

Montana is among several states scheduled to review federal Medicaid reimbursement rates in the coming year.