County opts for election by mail

Commissioners on Tuesday voted to conduct the November general election by mail in Sanders County. However, that doesn’t mean that voters won’t have an opportunity to cast a ballot in person.

Sanders County Election Administrator Nichol Scribner told the commissioners on Tuesday that voters can come into the courthouse at any time to vote in person. Ballots will be mailed October 9 and will include return postage so voters can drop the completed ballots in the mail without having to add postage. Ballots can also be turned it at drop box locations throughout the county, as well as at the Sanders County Courthouse.

In Sanders County, there are 8,609 registered voters, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s website. Of those, 7,656 (89%) were issued absentee ballots in the 2020 primary. Scribner said the voter turnout in the primary was 67%, higher than normal. Statistics from the Secretary of State verified that 5,171 voters turned in ballots in the primary. Those voters registered to vote by absentee already would have received their ballot by mail for the Nov. 3 election before the commissioners’ decision.

If the commissioners had voted to hold the November election as polling places, Scribner said that her staff had a plan in place to ensure safety of election judges and voters. She said that last week 130 residents were trained as election judges, and Scribner was confident that the judges would follow the plan if the polling place option was chosen by the commissioners.

By choosing the mail ballot option, Scribner said that the state Department of Administration will reimburse the county for the cost of the return postage. Some residents have expressed concern in the post office handling of ballots, but Scribner said, “election mail is given priority in the state by the U.S. Postal Service.” She said voters should mail their ballots no later than October 26 if they choose to submit them by mail.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Scribner said, expressed their support for a mail ballot election to help limit exposure of tribal members during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Mail ballot is much easier for voters,” Commissioner Glen Magera said, “and I support their tribe in their opinion.”

Scribner said the voter information pamphlets, with information on ballot initiatives, will be mailed to each household with a registered voter beginning September 19.

“This decision has not been made lightly at any point,” Scribner said. Commissioner Carol Brooker told Scribner she appreciated the efforts of her and her staff in developing plans for in-person and mail voting.