HELENA -- Record numbers of Montanans are requesting absentee ballots and casting their votes before the Nov. 7 general election.

As of Friday, nearly one out of every six Montana voters -- 101,189 voters out of the 645,768 registered voters -- had asked for an absentee or early ballot, according to unofficial totals from the secretary of state's office. So far, 56,453 of these people have already mailed back their ballot or cast their vote at the county courthouses.

Local election officials are braced for another hectic week as they expect a number of other Montanans to want to vote early in the final full week of the campaign.

The hotly contested Senate race between Republican incumbent Conrad Burns and Democratic challenger Jon Tester is stirring up interest in the election.

Secretary of State Brad Johnson, the state's chief election official, said he expects the total number of people voting absentee to eclipse the record of about 98,000 set in 2004. That was a presidential and gubernatorial election year in which far more Montanans usually vote than in an off-year election like this year.

It's easier than ever to vote absentee. Before the 2000 election, voters had to provide a reason for requesting an early ballot. They had to tell election officials they were going to be out of town on Election Day or in some other way were unable to make it to the polls.

That law was changed, so now voters don't need to provide any reason. They can simply request an early ballot.

As the statistics show, they're doing so in droves.

Johnson believes there are a number of reasons for the increase.

"We've got more groups pushing for it, be they conservation groups, political parties and various special interests," he said.

Leaders of Montana political parties confirmed they are urging people to vote early.

"If you can get solid Democrats to vote in large numbers early, then you can focus your get-out-the-vote campaign on those voters who are breaking for Tester late in the campaign," said Jim Farrell, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. "If you're a good Democrat, we want to make sure you vote. The best way to do that is by voting early by absentee ballot."

Republicans are mounting their own effort to get the rank-and-file to the polls early.

"I think it's important for all Montanans in general," said Brock Lowrance, Montana Republican Party spokesman. "It's a great way for people to make sure their vote is counted."

He said the GOP is encouraging rural voters to cast their votes early so that bad weather or unanticipated work-related chores can't keep them way from the polls on Nov. 7.

If you have already requested an absentee ballot or do so this week, you'll likely receive a couple of letters in the mail the same day you get your ballot from the parties and maybe some candidates making their final sales pitch.

The parties each day pull off the names of those requesting absentee ballots from the computerized statewide voter file list maintained by Johnson's office.

"People are busy," Johnson said. "There's an increasing awareness by people that they can get this out of the way."

It also allows people to decide how to vote on complex state and local ballot issues at their kitchen table, taking as long as they want to vote and not worrying about holding up the line at their polling place. They can read the pros and cons of state ballot issues in the Voter Information Pamphlet published by the secretary of state's office.

"They love it," said Silver Bow County Clerk and Recorder Mary McMahon. "What they're saying is with all the ballot issues and (local government) study commission recommendations, they want to sit down and study it."

Johnson said clerk and recorders are telling him that an increasing number of people also are checking the box that they want to be on the permanent absentee ballot list.

If voters do that, they will receive a confirmation card before the next election. They must sign that and return it to their local election office where their signatures are checked against those on file. Then the ballot is mailed to them. They can either be mailed back or hand-delivered before the close of business on Election Day.

"They love it," said Duane Winslow, Yellowstone County election administrator. "The permanent absentee list started out with 4,000 people. As people come on, it's up to almost 10,000 voters."

Johnson said he thinks these are all part of a national trend.

"There's just an increasing desire among voters for the process to be easier and easier," the secretary of state said. "That's why we signed off on that legislation that you can register and vote right up to election day at the election administrators' offices."

A 2005 state law now enables people to register to vote as late as Election Day.

If you haven't registered by Election Day, you can go to the election administrator's office in the clerk and recorder's office at your local county courthouse. Officials will check the computerized voter file to make sure you aren't registered to vote elsewhere. If not, you can vote at the courthouse on Election Day the same day you registered to vote.

"So long as we don't compromise the integrity of the process, I think making participation earlier is a good thing," Johnson said.

The secretary of state is fully confident the integrity has been maintained.

"Our challenge in the course of making those changes is to make sure we have preserved the integrity of the process so folks have confidence in the outcome," Johnson said, "and I think they've done that."