HAMILTON — Ravalli County's Elections Administrator is urging people who want to personally drop off ballots to do their "homework" to cut down on the chance of long lines forming at the courthouse.
Like most Montana counties, Ravalli County is using vote-by-mail to keep conditions safer for the public, and poll workers, during the COVID-pandemic.
Those ballots should be arriving to all voters now. However, some Bitterroot voters have complained they still want to vote-in-person. So the county has made provisions for people to be able to do that safely at the county's administration building.
Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg is hoping voters will consider filling out their ballots at home and then dropping them off. But she's assuring people their votes will count no matter what process is used…
"If somebody just absolutely doesn't want to vote it at home, I hope they'll at least look it over and be ready to vote it here if they're going to do that because it is a long ballot and we want to try to get folks in and out as quickly as possible to keep our lines down," Plettenburg told MTN News. "So, if voters will vote it at home, get that envelope all sealed up and signed, and then they can just come drop it off in person.” :22
The Ravalli County Administration Building is the only place where ballots can be dropped off ahead of time. On Election Day, additional ballot drop-off points will be operating at the Darby Community Clubhouse, the Florence Rural Fire Station, the Ravalli County Fairgrounds in Hamilton, and Whitesitt Funeral Home in Stevensville.
Again, no traditional polling places will be open. Click here for more information about the Nov. 3 election in Ravalli County.
