Voters prepare to cast ballots

The Sanders County Elections staff is busy preparing for Election Day, which is now less than a week away.

Election administrator McKenna Wallace reported that as of Tuesday morning, 2,549 absentee ballots had been accepted by the office, nearly 40% of the 6,606 that were mailed. Sanders County had 10,027 registered voters as of Tuesday.

Wallace said that voters can check their absentee status at the state’s My Voter Page online, https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo. If a voter is set to vote absentee but has not received a ballot in the mail, Wallace recommended calling the office at (406) 827-3038. If a ballot has been spoiled, Wallace stated that the voter must go to the election office and bring the ballot packet with them in order to get a new one.

Residents who are not yet registered to vote can do so at the Elections Office at 1037 W Main St., Suite 102, across from the Sanders County Courthouse in Thompson Falls. Voter registration will close at noon on Monday, November 7, then resume at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Election Day. New voters must register at the office and cannot do so at polling places.

The county performed public testing of the DS850 Central Tabulator last week. “The public testing on the 27th ran smoothly and the tabulator was spot on for the test,” Wallace said.

The Elections office has received questions from voters regarding identification laws. Wallace said the Secretary of State's office released the following: “In the 2022 General Election, pursuant to a September 30 District Court order preventing Montana’s voter identification laws from being enforced, an elector is required at the polling place to present a current photo ID showing the elector’s name or a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, notice of confirmation of voter registration, government check or other government document that shows the elector’s name and current address,” she stated.

Polling locations throughout Sanders County will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Polling locations include:

Precinct 1 – Heron, Community Center, 6 Upper River Road

Precinct 2 – Noxon, Community Ambulance Service Building, 311 Noxon Ave.

Precinct 3 – Trout Creek, Trout Creek School, 4 School Lane

Precinct 4 and 5, Thompson Falls – Thompson Falls Community Center, 401 Golf St.

Precincts 6 and 7, Plains and Paradise – Plains Paradise Senior Center, 205 W. Meany St.

Precinct 8, Hot Springs – Hot Springs Senior Center, 101 Main St.

Precinct 9, Dixon – Dixon Senior Center, 35 3rd St.

Voters can also check their precinct number and polling location at the My Voter Page online. For more information, contact the Sanders County Elections Office at (406) 827-3038.