Mail ballot gains commissioners' approval

On May 15, the Lincoln County Commissioners signed a resolution to hold a mail ballot election for the Special Federal Election to replace U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke if Senate Bill 305 is approved.

Currently, Senate Bill 305 which would allow for a mail election, passed the Senate 37-13 in February and gets its first hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

“It has been scheduled to be heard on Thursday morning at 8 a.m.,” Lincoln County Election Administrator Leigh Riggleman said. “But it’s a tough sell because the majority of the members of the House have been opposed from the beginning.”

The special election has been scheduled for May 25, the Thursday before the Memorial Day weekend, but the Secretary of State’s office must receive the mail ballots 45 days prior to the election.

During a special session meeting held on March 14, County Administrator Darren Coldwell asked Riggleman if they could consolidate some of the polling places.

However, Riggleman explained that the county will receive more complaints if more consolidation takes place. Riggleman said that they already received complaints from Trego and Fortine voters.

Mail ballots work as such: registered voters receive a ballot in the mail and when the ballot is returned, the voter’s signature is verified before the ballot can be accepted and counted towards the election. If a signature does not match, the ballot is rejected.

On one hand, some, including the The Montana Association of Clerk & Recorders and Election Administrators, who oversee the elections, are supportive of the bill because they say it will reduce cost, increase voter turnout and be more efficient. Riggleman, who’s also in favor of the mail ballot, believes mail ballots are the right path to take.

On the other hand, some believe that the vote-by-mail legislation would increase fraud, set a precedent for future elections and give Democrats an advantage.