Election set for Thursday

Montana voters will go to the polls Thursday to cast ballots in the race to fill the state’s only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and, in Hill County, to weigh in on two mill levies.

Republican Greg Gianforte, a tech entrepreneur and failed gubernatorial candidate from November’s election, musician and Mission Mountain Wood Band co-founder Rob Quist, a Democrat, and Libertarian Mark Wicks, a rancher from Inverness, are vying for the House seat formerly held by Ryan Zinke.

Zinke resigned from the House in March to become Interior Secretary in President Donald Trump’s cabinet.

Hill County Clerk and Recorder Susan Armstrong said of the county’s 9,508 active and inactive voters, 4,592 have been issued absentee ballots, of which 3,181 had been received by Tuesday at noon.

Two mill levies rejected by voters last fall will again be on the ballot in Hill County.

The Hill County Public Cemetery District is asking voters permission to levy up to 4 mills a year if needed. If the district does not need to use all four additional mills in a given year, it can reimburse the county the cost of mills not used or ask for fewer the next year.

A postcard from the district promoting the levy said, if passed, the increase would mean an additional $5.40 a year in property taxes by the owner of a home with a market value of $100,000 and $10.80 for a house valued at $200,000.

The Hill County Weed Control District also is asking for an increase of four mills.

If passed by voters, the levy would provide the district $141,760 a year funding based on current taxable values.

The Clerk and Recorder’s offices in Blaine, Chouteau and Liberty counties say they have no mill levies on the ballot in Thursday’s election.

Absentee balloting and late voter registration closed at noon today. Late voter registration will resume Election Day at Clerk and Recorder’s offices.

Polling locations within Havre have changed for Thursday’s election. In Havre, precincts 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 25 have polls at the Havre Ice Dome at 2585 5th Ave. S.E. Voters in precinct 28 will go to the Chippewa Cree Wellness Center on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation and people in Precinct 18 will vote at Box Elder school.

For residents in the western part of Hill County, polls for precincts 20, 21 and 22, are at the Hi-Line Community Center in Hingham.

In Blaine County, registered voters in precincts 3 and 9 on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation will vote at the Sacred Heart Church east of Harlem, Precinct 15 voters will vote at Hays-Lodge Pole High School, voters from precincts 10, 11 and 13 will vote at Chinook High School and Precinct 8 voters will cast their ballots at Harlem High School.

A polling site for Precinct 1 will be open at Turner School from noon to 8 p.m.

In Chouteau County, precincts 1 and 2 will go to the elementary school gym in Fort Benton, while registered voters in precinct 8 and 9 will go to Big Sandy Town Hall and Stone Child College will serve as polling place for precinct 5, with polls open 7 a.m to 8p.m.

Polling places open noon to 8 p.m. in Chouteau County are the Geraldine Senior Center for Precinct 3, Carter Community Hall for Precinct 4, Highwood Community Hall in Precinct 6 and Loma Memorial Hall for Precinct 7.

In Liberty County, Chester-Joplin-Inverness School will be the location for voters in precincts 1, 2 and 3, while people from Precinct 4 will vote at Joplin Community Hall, with both locations open 7 a.m. 8 p.m.