Nearly 12% of absentee ballots returned, according to Montana Secretary of State’s Office

Montana voters already are turning in their general election ballots — 60,329 as of Monday, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s Office.

That’s 11.6% on average of the 520,035 absentee ballots sent, according to the Secretary of State’s ballot counts tracker. Montana has more than 780,000 registered voters.

People who haven’t registered to vote may still do so, and details are available on the Secretary of State’s website.

In Cascade County, election administrator Terry Thompson encouraged people who need to register to do so sooner rather than later.

“Register early,” Thompson said Monday. “Come down and register so that we don’t have long lines on Election Day.”

Thompson said a steady flow of people have been registering, and her staff are ready to help so voters don’t have to wait at this point.

“It’s all hands on deck with my team,” Thompson said.

As of Friday night, Thompson said her team had processed 5,530 ballots, and the drop boxes had been filling up since then.

“We probably have 2,000 to process tonight,” Thompson said.

As of Monday, Hill County had the highest portion of ballots back so far, 18.47%, or 1,029 out of 5,571. Pondera, Toole and Sweet Grass counties also had an estimated 18% each.

In a couple of the most populous counties, Yellowstone and Missoula, voters have turned in more than 16% of absentee ballots. 

Missoula County Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman said Monday of the 64,000 ballots the county mailed out, voters have turned in more than 10,000.

“We are rocking and rolling on the election,” Seaman said in a voicemail.

He also said county employees are working hard to contact voters who have undeliverable ballots.

One race in particular is heating up in western Montana.

Last week, political analysts shifted the U.S. House race in district No. 1 to a “toss up” between Republican Aaron Flint and Democrat Sam Forstag.

Saturday, Montanans at No Kings rallies said they were motivated to vote to counteract U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies.

They said high gas prices and unaffordable health care were driving their decisions on the ballot.

Trump himself also visited Montana last week to rally his base before the Nov. 3 general election.

Thompson said not everyone has figured out that they don’t have to fill out their birth year on their absentee ballots anymore — a judge found the requirement to be unconstitutional — and ballots won’t be rejected based on that issue.

She also reminded voters that at least in Cascade County, the elections office has extended hours. It’s open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday through Oct. 30, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday and on Halloween.