City ballots hitting mailboxes, election office

With ballots in the city elections mailed out Tuesday, Havre voters already are receiving their chance to decide the leadership of the city, with some already turning in their decisions — about 200 in by this morning.

Hill County Clerk and Recorder Darla Dahl urged people who thought they should receive a ballot and haven’t to contact her office, and for people who did receive a ballot to turn them in on time to make sure their votes count.

“If people live in the city, and they think they should have gotten one and they haven’t gotten a ballot, they can get ahold of us and we can find out,” Dahl said. “Maybe they’re not registered, maybe they’re not an active voter, (the ballot) could have been sent to a different address where it shouldn’t have been, and we can check on that for them.

“It would be better to do it now than wait till Election Day,” she added.

She said that, while people have until the close of elections at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, to get the ballots to her office, mailing or bringing them in early will make certain their vote is counted.

The ballots have to be in the Clerk and Recorder’s Office by the close of polling — even if it is postmarked Nov. 5 or earlier, if it comes in late the votes won’t be counted.

Ballots can be mailed to or dropped off at the Hill County Clerk and Recorder’s Office at the Hill County Courthouse, 315 4th Ave.

The 2013 Havre elections include seven races, although only two are contested.

In the race for mayor, voters have a rematch of the 2009 election. Incumbent first-term Democrat Tim Solomon is facing former two-term Republican Havre Mayor Bob Rice, whom Solomon defeated in Rice’s attempt for a third term.

In City Council’s Ward 4 race, two running for office are squared off.

Republican Matt Boucher faces Democrat Karen Datko in that race.

In the other wards, the candidates, all Democrats, are running unopposed. Political newcomer Terry Lilletvedt is the candidate in Ward 1, incumbent Janet Trethewey is running for a second term representing Ward 2, while 12-year incumbent Allen “Woody” Woodwick is running for a two-year term and recently appointed council member Jay Pyette is running for a four-year term, both in Ward 3.

Hill County Justice Court Clerk Virginia Seigel is running unopposed in the nonpartisan race for city judge.

Dahl also said that if people are not registered, they can do so at the Clerk and Recorder’s office through Election Day. Late registration suspends from noon to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, but resumes at 7 a.m. Nov. 5 and runs through the close of polls that night.