Deadline is today to return local election ballots

Registered voters in Havre and Hingham have until 8 p.m. to turn in ballots to the Hill County’s Clerk and Recorder’s office in today’s local elections.

In both cities, local elections are conducted by mail-in ballot only.

The Hill County Clerk and Recorder’s office said that as of this morning, 2,042 ballots have been received by the office, 2,000 of which have been from Havre. Some 3,635 were sent out Oct. 14 to voters in Havre, while the remaining 73 were sent to those in Hingham.

Havre has two open city council races. In Ward 1, former school board member and retired radio station manager Ed Matter is running against engineer Douglas Vance to fill the seat being vacated by Pam Hillery. In Ward 3, J.D. Cass, a former BNSF train conductor, is facing off against Montana State University-Northern employee Caleb Hutchins to replace the retiring Allen “Woody” Woodwick.

Incumbents Brian Barrows of Ward 2 and Andrew Brekke of Ward 4 are also up for re-election but have no challengers.

A $30 million 20-year mil levy to fund the repair of Havre city streets over 20 years is also on the ballot.

In Hingham two candidates: Dan Horinek and David George are running unopposed for two alderman-at-large seats.

People who haven’t mailed their ballots can deliver them to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office at the Hill County Courthouse.

The Havre Daily News will have election day coverage tonight through our Facebook page, Twitter feeds: @HavreDaily and @AlexRossHDN, as well as our website. Full results will be reported in the Wednesday’s edition of the paper.