Elections staff ready for local primary

Sanders County and the rest of Montana will go to the polls on Tuesday, June 5, for the primary election.

Elections staff at the Sanders County Clerk and Recorder’s Office reported that 4,141 ballots were issued and as of Tuesday evening, 1,492 absentee ballots were accepted and ready for processing. An additional 28 were voided and 82 were undeliverable, said Elections Clerk Bobbi Christenson. She noted that the office attempted to contact all of the voters whose ballots were returned undeliverable.

With Election Day on Tuesday, Christenson said people need to be aware of the time frame for absentee ballots to be returned. Ballots must be received at the clerk and recorder’s office by 8 p.m. on June 5, and postmarks are not accepted. Also, if voters are issued an absentee ballot, they need to vote that ballot. Voters issued an absentee ballot can vote at a polling place, but they will vote provisionally, which means that the ballot may not be counted until after the election.

Christenson also said that if a voter does not vote in the primary, they can still vote in the General Election in November.

For many local races, only two candidates filed in the primary. Both with go on to the general election in November unless a write-in candidate receives more votes.

For those who have not elected to vote absentee, polls will open at 7 a.m. Tuesday and close at 8 p.m. Polling places include: Heron (Precinct 1), Heron Community Center; Noxon (Precinct 2), Community Ambulance Service Building; Trout Creek (Precinct 3), Trout Creek School; Thompson Falls (Precincts 4 and 5), Thompson Falls Community Center; Plains (Precincts 6 and 7), Plains Paradise Senior Center; Hot Springs (Precinct 8), Hot Springs Senior Center; and Dixon (Precinct 9), Dixon Senior Center.

In the non-partisan race for Sanders County Sheriff, two candidates will advance to the November general election. Incumbent Tom Rummel is running against Darlene Lee and Justin Ryan.

For District Court Judge in the 20th District, Deborah “Kim” Christopher is running for re-election. Ashley Morigeau and Ben Anciaux are also in the race for district judge.

Local House District 13 representative Bob Brown is running for re-election as the only Republican candidate. On the Democratic party ballot, the winner between Chris Gross and Gerald Cuvillier will advance to the November election.

In House District 14, Incumbent Denley Loge and James Mortenson are running on the Republican ballot, with Diane Magone on the Democratic. No Green party candidates filed for HD-14.

Other non-partisan races in the county include Justice of the Peace, County Attorney/Public Administrator and County Commissioner, with all three incumbents filing for re-election in those races. Doug Dryden has filed to retain his position as Justice of the Peace, running against Mark French of Plains. Bob Zimmerman and Naomi Leisz will face off for County Attorney, and Paul Fielder is challenging Carol Brooker for County Commissioner.

In federal and state races, six people filed for a chance to meet incumbent U.S. Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat, in the general election. Green party candidates Timothy Adams and Steve Kelly have filed, as well as Republicans Troy Downing, Russ Fagg, Albert Olszewski and Matt Rosendale.

Republicans Jared Pettinato, Kathleen Williams, John Heenan, Grant Kier, John Meyer and Lynda Moss are running for U.S. Representative on the Democratic ballot, as are Green party candidate Doug Campbell and incumbent Republican Greg Gianforte, who was elected in a special election in 2016 after U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke was appointed Secretary of the Interior by President Trump.

Republican Bowen Greenwood has filed for Clerk of the Supreme Court, along with Democrat Rex Renk.

Sanders County voters will also cast ballots for uncontested races, including Beth Baker for Supreme Court Justice #4 and Ingrid Gustafson for Supreme Court Justice #2. Locally, current Sanders County Clerk and Recorder Nichol Scribner is the lone candidate for the newly combined position of Clark and Recorder/Treasurer/Superintendent of Schools.

For more information or questions regarding elections, visit http://www.co.sanders.mt.us, check out the Sanders County Votes page on Facebook, stop by the clerk and recorder’s office at the courthouse, or call 827-6949.