Ballots due Tuesday for midterms
A voter takes a sticker after voting in the primary election at the trade center at Flathead County Fairgrounds on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Voters have until 8 p.m. to cast their ballot in a slew of local, state and federal elections, including for county commissioner and Montana’s western district U.S. House seat.
All polling locations in Flathead County are accepting ballots from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8. Those not yet registered to vote can still apply up until 8 p.m. and cast a ballot, though they must do so at the county election office at 290B N. Main St. in Kalispell regardless of where they reside.
Previously registered voters looking for their polling place will find a list of locations by precinct on the Flathead County Election Office’s website at www.flathead.mt.gov/department-directory/election. Polling locations include the Trade Center building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell, the Lakeside QRU, Bad Rock Fire Hall, Smith Valley Fire Hall, Whitefish Community Center, Columbia Falls High School and Bigfork Library Building, among others.
Those arriving at the county election office to register and receive a ballot should bring a completed application, available for download at sosmt.gov, the website of the Montana Secretary of State’s Office, as well as the necessary ID or forms of identification, depending on the circumstances. Officials remind prospective voters that they must have lived in Montana 30 days prior to the election to register and be 18 years of age by Election Day.
Voters casting a ballot on Election Day also need to bring a form of identification. Those include a current Montana’s driver’s license, state-issued ID card, student ID, tribal or military photo identification or U.S. passport. Voters can bring alternative paperwork showing their name and address, including a government check, voter registration confirmation, utility bill or bank statement, among others.
With Tuesday, Nov. 8 being Election Day, outstanding absentee ballots need to be dropped off rather than mailed. Ballots must be received by election officials by 8 p.m. to be counted.
As of Nov. 7, Flathead County had issued 48,683 absentee ballots with just shy of 27,000 returned, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s Office. Absentee voters hoping to check in on their ballot can do so at app.mt.gov/voterinfo/.