Getting vote results is primary concern

County election officials promised a smoothly run primary election and predicted that final results would be in by 10 p.m. election night.

They didn't deliver.

Absentee-ballot totals weren't known until the day after the primary, forcing voters and candidates in close elections to spend the night wondering who had been victorious. For some reason, Pleasant Valley votes weren't counted until the next day, either.

A new system of tabulating votes throughout the election day at each precinct was expected to save time, but in the end, some precincts were still delivering their votes to the courthouse as late as 10:30 p.m. on election night, well after counties throughout the state had already put their election results to bed.

Election officials blamed new voting tabulation machines for the delays; there's a learning curve with new equipment, they said.

Many of us still remember the agonizing marathon ballot count in the hours after the November 2004 general election, when the tallying continued for nearly 20 hours after the polls closed. A new counting system was blamed then, too, along with a record turnout, improperly marked ballots, difficulties processing absentee votes and a technology lapse.

Somehow, Flathead County needs to find a way to get things done in a timely manner on election night. Our citizens deserve nothing less.

In an upbeat story Tuesday about the annual senior picnic at the fairgrounds, there was also some alarming news.

It turns out that the local Agency on Aging has served about 1,000 more meals a month this year, while at the same time facing a 7 percent cutback in the meals program.

Meals on Wheels is a vital contribution to many of our elderly who are not able to get around on their own. They depend on the program not just for nutrition, but also for the good company.

As the valley's elderly population continues to grow by leaps and bounds, it is important that the rest of us make sure they are not forgotten. Cutting other senior programs may help as a stopgap measure, but permanent funding will need to be found eventually.

The agency is also trying to stake a claim to the recently vacated Army Reserve armory on Meridian Road. That seems like a good use for the building, which will be offered as surplus by the federal government in the coming months.