Switch to mail ballots will boost Kalispell turnout

Voters in Kalispell municipal elections will now receive their ballots exclusively by mail.

In a split vote last week, Council made the decision to transition away from polling-place elections. It’s a move that could save taxpayer funding and help increase voter turnout. 

Still, Mayor Mark Johnson and Councilor Sid Daoud dissented, both expressing a distaste for letting go of the traditional in-person option. Daoud — who is running for mayor in the next election — even espoused mail-in voting as “un-American.” 

Rhetoric aside, voting from afar is nothing new in this country and there’s nothing unpatriotic about it. In fact, the practice dates to the Civil War when soldiers were allowed to cast ballots from the battlefield for elections in their hometowns, according to MIT’s Election Lab. Absentee ballot laws for civilians, meanwhile, can be traced back to the 1800s, well before Montana was even a state. 

Today, eight states allow all elections — federal, state and local — to be conducted exclusively by mail. Meanwhile, Montana is among nine states that allows all mail ballots for small elections, such as municipal and school district elections. 

While data is mixed, it generally points to increased voter participation in elections conducted by mail, particularly local elections. One study in Colorado revealed an 8% uptick in voter participation during mail elections.  

Given that Kalispell’s most recent election in 2023 saw just 263 poll voters, a dismal 4% of eligible poll voters, any increase would be a welcome change. 

While Mayor Johnson decries losing the tradition of going to the polls on Election Day, the convenience factor of voting by mail shouldn’t be underestimated as a way to ensure everyone gets to vote. 

“You’re reaching out to every single active eligible voter and providing them the opportunity to vote without having to narrow it down to one day in a specific time window.” Flathead County Election Manager Paula Buff told the Council. 

It’s important to note that the new system does not eliminate the option to fill out or return a ballot in person. People can still go to the election office where there will be poll booths set up. 

Increased voter participation and lower taxpayer costs? There’s nothing unpatriotic about that.