Missoula County Government: Municipal Primary Ballots Mail Aug. 25; Elections Office Invites Public, Media To Tour Process

Press release from the Missoula County Government:

08/24/2021 10:34 AM

Residents who still need to register to vote or make changes to their registration can do so until 12 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, at the Elections Center. All voter services will be provided in the green warehouse on the east side of the Election Center through November. 

Due to changes in state law, residents can no longer register to vote on Election Day. 

“The best way to ensure you will be able to vote in this election is to register or make any changes by noon on Monday, Sept. 13,” Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman said. “It doesn’t take long; come visit us at the Elections Center and our staff will take care of your registration.” 

The primary is for Missoula mayor and City Council wards 1 and 6; a candidate filings list is available at www.missoulavotes.com. The two candidates in each race who receive the most votes will move on to the general municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 2. 

The Elections Office also invites members of the public and media to tour the processes that take place leading up to and after Election Day that ensure accuracy and integrity of elections. The following will take place in the Elections Center: 

• 9:45 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 9: Election equipment testing. Elections staff will test the tabulators used to count ballots to ensure they are working properly ahead of Election Day. They will also test the ADA-compliant ExpressVote ballot marking devices to ensure they are operating correctly for drop-off locations on Election Day.
• 9:45 a.m. Monday, Sept. 13: Ballot processing. Attendees will observe staff and volunteers following the multi-step process used to verify signatures, process ballots and ensure that each ballot cast is counted.
• 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14: Ballot tabulation. Attendees will observe staff conducting the final test of equipment, as well as the counting and retention process for voted ballots.
• 2:45 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20: Provisional ballot count. Attendees will observe staff counting any accepted provisional ballots for the election.
• 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22: Election canvass. State law requires the Elections Office and three county elected officials verify the election with a canvass. The canvass ensures the number of ballots voted are the number of ballots counted and that no ballots are missing or counted more than once. Media and public are invited to observe the canvass with the Missoula County commissioners and elections staff. 

“We are inviting media, the public and elected officials to attend the tour and canvass to help educate everyone on the election process and the laws that guide our work,” Seaman said. “Understanding the workflow will help constituents and leaders feel confident in the process and help lawmakers make sound decisions when they have the opportunity to vote on election laws.” 

As preparations continue for the Sept. 14 municipal primary election, the Elections Office wants to remind voters of the following key dates and election resources: 

Wednesday, Aug. 25: Ballots will be mailed out. If voters have not received their ballot by Saturday, Aug. 28, they should contact the Elections Office. All return postage is paid. 

12 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13: Late registration closes. Residents will not be able register to vote and there will be limited opportunities to update their registration after this point. 

Tuesday, Sept. 14: Election Day. Ballots are due back to the Elections Office by 8 p.m. Late ballots will not be accepted, and postmarks are not sufficient. Six ballot drop-off locations will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day only:

• Ward 1 – Missoula Public Library, 435 E. Main. St.
• Ward 2 – Hellgate Elementary School Administration Office, 2385 Flynn Lane
• Ward 3 – The Elections Center, 140 N. Russell St.
• Ward 4 – Missoula County Fairgrounds, 1101 South Avenue W.
• Ward 5 – Missoula Early Learning Center, 2625 Briggs St.
• Ward 6 – Franklin Elementary School, 1910 S. 11th St. W. 

MissoulaVotes.com: Missoula County Elections Office website, a beneficial resource for election questions, the candidate filings list and informational documents. 

Find My Ward, missoula.co/findmyward: Residents can confirm their address is in the City limits and see the nearest Election Day drop-off location. 

My Voter Page, https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo: Residents can download a registration form; verify voter registration status, address and district. 

Additional questions: Voters can contact the Elections Office by calling 406-258-4751 or by emailing electionsinfo@missoulacounty.us with additional questions and to verify their ballot has been received. 

Common voter questions are online at http://missoula.co/primary2021faq. Voters can also learn how Missoula County ensures election integrity at http://missoula.co/electionintegrity. 

Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman is available for media inquiries at bseaman@missoulacounty.us, or 406-529-8980.

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This press release was produced by the Missoula County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.