Polls open Tuesday in general election

Voters throughout Montana and across the nation will be heading to the polls throughout north-central Montana,

Most polls across the state will be open 7 a.m to 8 p.m.

In Hill County, precincts 1, 3, 7, 8 and 9 will vote in the Havre High School Gym. Residents in precincts 3, 13, 15 and 16 will cast their ballots in the Havre Middle School Gym, while voters in precincts 2, 10 and 25 go to St. Jude Parish Center.

The District 4 HRDC building at 2229 5th Avenue will be the polling place for people in precinct 14.

Those in precincts 20, 21 and 22 in communities west of Havre can vote at the Hi-Line Community Center in Hingham. Box Elder residents will cast their ballots at Box Elder School.

On Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, voting will take place at the Chippewa Cree Wellness Center and Stone Child College.

In Chouteau County, precincts 1 and 2 will go to the elementary school gym in Fort Benton, while those in precincts 8 and 9 will go to Big Sandy Town Hall. Voters in Precinct 3 will go to the Geraldine Seniors Center.

Three polling places in Chouteau County will be open from noon until 8 p.m. Those are Carter Community Hall, Highwood Community Hall and Loma Memorial Hall for those in precincts 4, 6 and 7, respectively.

Eight polling places will be open for voters in Blaine County from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Chinook High School will be the polling place for those in precincts 10, 11 and 13. Precincts 3 and 9 will cast their ballots at the Sacred Heart Church on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Harlem High School and Hays/Lodgepole High School will be the polling place for those in precincts 8 and 15, respectively.

Turner School will act as a polling place for people in Precinct 1 from noon to 8 p.m.

In Liberty County, Chester-Joplin-Inverness School will be the location for voters in precincts 1, 2 and 3. People in Precinct 4, will vote at Joplin Community Hall.

People with absentee ballots can deliver them to their respective county clerk and recorder offices by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

In north-central Montana, voters will be casting ballots not only in federal and state races, but also in state legislative, county and tribal elections.

In Hill County three candidates, Democrat Jim Bedwell, Republican Diane McLean and independent Ted Solomon are all competing in the race for an open seat on the Hill County Commission.

Aside from an open race in Blaine County for Clerk of District Court between Republican Pauly Miller and Democrat Tami Sue Mitchell, the clerk and recorder’s offices in Blaine, Chouteau, Hill and Liberty counties say there are no competitive county races.

Several competitive local legislative races will be decided Tuesday. Those include three races for seats in the Montana House of Representatives: the House District 28 contest between state Rep. Stephanie Hess, R-Havre, and Democrat Jacob Bachmeier, the House District 27 race between Democrat Ryan Rominger and Republican James O’Hara and the House District 33 contest between Republican Casey Knudsen of Malta and Democrat Mike Finley of North Havre.

Two local Montana Senate races also will be decided at the polls. Former state Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, and state Rep. Bruce Meyers, R-Box Elder, are facing off for the Senate District 16 seat.

State Rep. Mike Lang, R-Malta, and Democrat Douglas Adolphson of Glasgow are hoping to represent Senate District 17.

At Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, Chippewa Cree Business Committee members Harlan Gopher Baker and Beau Mitchell are vying to be the next tribal chair. Four seats on the Business Committee are also on the ballot. The eight candidates for for those seats are Ted Whitford, Teddy Russette III, Daryl Wright III, Joe Demontiney Jr., Raymond “Jazz” Parker, Luke Parisian, Lenore Myers-Nault and Russell Standing Rock.