One Nation, Under God

Information for voters as Primary nears

A week ago, the Phillips County Election Office mailed ballots for the upcoming Federal Primary Election to be held Tuesday, June 5, 018 to 75% of the registered voters or 1,775 ballots. If you are a registered voter and wish to have a ballot mailed to you, please contact the Election Office at 654-2423.

Persons who are not registered to vote may appear in person at the Election Office with proper identification, register to vote and be issued a ballot. All absentee ballots and ballots from late registrants must be received no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, June 5, 2018 for your vote to count.

All active and inactive voters that have not received an absentee ballot may vote in person by presenting proper identification pm Election Day, June 6, 2018 from at the Courthouse Lower Level from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, June 5, 2018.

In mid-March, the Montana Secretary of State’s Office certified the Green Party for inclusion in the primary for the June 5th election. Primary voters, then, receive three ballots – Democrat, Republican and Green – in each ballot packet. Voters will receive all three ballots whether they vote via the mail or at the polls on June 5th.

Montana has had an “open” primary system for more than 100 years. Voters do not declare a party affiliation when they register, but they must choose one party’s ballot to complete for the primary. For a primary like the one in June, they receive one version of the ballot for each qualified party, and the choice of which ballot to vote – and which ones not to vote – is entirely the voter’s.

The Montana Clerks and Recorders Association offered some pointers for vote-by-mail voters.

• A voter will receive three ballots, but can only choose one to vote. Each voter should select the two ballots he or she opts not to vote and put them in the white “UNVOTED BALLOT ONLY” envelope.

• The voter may then complete the party ballot of choice and place it in the blue “BALLOT SECRECY ENVELOPE”

• The voter must sign and date the return affirmation envelope prior to sealing and returning their ballot.

• If the voter does not return the unvoted ballots in their vote-by-mail packet, it will NOT invalidate their vote.

• The critical pieces that election administrators need returned are the voted ballot in the blue Ballot Secrecy Envelope, the blue Ballot Secrecy Envelope is then placed in the return affirmation envelope, and the affirmation envelope must be signed by the voter.

• A vote-by-mail ballot will be rejected if the return, affirmation envelope is missing a signature or the signature does not match what the election administrator has on file. This signature is compared to the signature the Election Office has on file with your latest signature. If it does not match any signatures on file, you will be contacted by the Election Office.

 

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