HAMILTON – Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg reports her office issued over 16, 200 absentee ballots this year, which she says is a very high number for a “mid-term” election.
The strong returns show the continued growing preference of voters to cast their ballots by absentee, rather than going to a traditional polling place on Election Day.
Click here to view the latest elections results.
Ravalli County Commissioners
Citizens voted in 2016 to reduce the number of Ravalli County Commissioners from five to three.
The three new districts are District 1 (Florence/Stevensville), District 2 (Victor/Corvallis/Pinesdale) and District 3 (Hamilton/Darby/Sula). The commissioners representing the new districts will take office on Jan. 1, 2019.
District 1 was the only contested race with incumbent Greg Chilcott easily defeating challenger Lyndsay Stover, a Democrat, by a margin of 67%-to-33%.
Since both District 2 and District 3 are uncontested, Chris Hoffman will represent District 2 and Jeff Burrows will represent District 3. They are both are Republicans.
Ravalli County Justice of the Peace
Incumbent Jim Bailey will continue as a judge in the Bitterroot. Bailey, who has served as Ravalli County Justice of the Peace for over 17 years — and also has 31 years in law enforcement experience, beat challenger Perry Johnson 54%-to-46%.
Johnson served nearly three decades in Bitterroot law enforcement working for the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office, serving as Undersheriff, deputy sheriff and detective before retiring in 2013. Johnson is now the Director of the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council.
Ravalli Literacy Levy
Ravalli County voters were being asked to vote on a 1.5 mill levy that would generate about $120,000 a year and approved the proposal by a margin of 54%-to-46%. The levy provides enough money to keep helping adults achieve their High School Equivalency Diplomas and beyond.
Literacy Bitterroot has been among the leading programs when it comes to helping adults further their skills, education and employment for the past 30 years.
Literacy Bitterroot advocates say about half of its graduates go on to take college classes.
