Lincoln County officials confirm they intend to hold a poll election

Lincoln County officials now intend to hold a traditional election where residents can only vote either at the polls or via absentee ballots despite receiving a previous recommendation to conduct an all-mail election.

Commissioner Mark Peck (D-1) said Aug. 28 that the county would be following a poll election plan proposed by Chris Nelson, newly minted election administrator, rather than the all-mail option recommended by Leigh Riggleman, former election administrator.

Riggleman stepped down from her post last week. No reason was given for her resignation.

Nelson, previously the assistant election administrator, said he decided on the poll election plan after the commissioners voiced their preference for the option during the Aug. 12 meeting in which Riggleman recommended all-mail voting.

Riggleman argued that having residents congregate in close proximity and share pens and paper at in-person polling locations could spread the novel coronavirus. She also pointed out that many election workers in Lincoln County are over 60 years of age, which makes them especially susceptible to COVID-19.

Commissioners did not have to formally object to Riggleman’s all mail-ballot plan since the Montana Secretary of State had not officially approved it, according to Nelson.

While the shift in plans was not widely publicized, the commissioners voiced concern about the bewilderment among voters regarding how the election will be conducted.

“There’s a lot of confusion out there that it was … either all mail-in ballot or no mail-in ballot,” Peck said during an Aug. 26 meeting.

Commissioner Josh Letcher (D-3) agreed saying he saw a lot of misinformation surrounding the election process.

During an Aug. 19 meeting held in Eureka, commissioners discussed the election process though it was not listed on the agenda. The meeting was not viewable via video conference at the Lincoln County Courthouse.

As covered by Nikki Meyer of the Tobacco Valley News, commissioners again raised concerns about conducting an all mail-ballot election during the meeting.

Commissioner Jerry Bennett (D-2) said he worried that the U.S. Postal Service did not have the capacity to handle the election. He cited an instance where a letter he sent to an address that he had mailed an item to every month for five years came back as undeliverable.

Letcher said he had heard from a voter who told him she received her ballot the day after an election.

“I think our Postal Service right now is in somewhat of an upheaval,” Bennett said.

Despite their concerns with the efficacy of the Postal Service, commissioners are planning a mail campaign to keep voters informed about their plans for the November election. During the Aug. 26 meeting, Nelson proposed mailing out information to all active, non-absentee voters.

The letter would explain to these residents that they could sign up for absentee ballots if they wished. Nelson also wants to encourage residents to cast their ballots early. As voters continue to register, Nelson estimated that he would have to send out over 4,669 letters. While he has not set a firm date for when the letters will go out, Nelson anticipates sending them around Sept. 10.

Bennett, who met with Nelson before the meeting to discuss the mail campaign, said that he learned in his time as a state representative that sending out letters was an effective way to keep constituents informed.

Nelson said he plans to open three polling locations, one in Libby, Troy and Eureka. This is the minimum number of stations needed to ensure voters could still vote in-person and remain socially distanced, according to Nelson.

More locations may be added depending on the number of judges that register to oversee elections. At the time of the meeting, Nelson had more than 60 judges confirmed. Peck said their ranks could be bolstered by county officials willing to serve.