Secretary of state candidate Bennett campaigns in Havre

Democratic candidate for the secretary of state Montana Sen. Bryce Bennett, D-Missoula, spoke with local residents Sunday at Vizsla Brewing Co.

"I think it's so important to meet with people where they are and talk to them about the issues that are important to them and how the secretary of state's office can better support them and make their lives easier," he said in an interview.

Bennett is the only Democratic candidate listed in the race by Ballotpedia.

The official filing time for candidates in Montana is Jan. 9 through March 9.

Bennett said that since he started his campaign in May of this year, he has been to 22 different counties. He added that Sunday he also had events in Glendive, Wolf Point and Glasgow. In all the counties he has visited, he said, he has been well-received, with a number of people voicing concerns about small businesses, dark money and their ability to vote.

"It's the voice of Montanans that actually matters on Election Day, not the millions of dollars that are flowing in to try to drown out the voices of everyday folks," he said.

He added that he has concerns about small businesses and the large number of retrictions small business owners have in order to operate their businesses. The Secretary of State's Office has to focus on customer service because people are struggling with starting businesses, filing the required paperwork and paying the fees associated with registering their small businesses. He said that paperwork used to take about 10 to 15 minutes to fill out and file, but now is taking small business owners hours, and many of them are hiring lawyers to help with the paperwork. 

"We need a secretary of state that will be a partner to voters, be an advocate for small businesses, and that's exactly what I will do," Bennett said.

He added that he has spent the past nine years in the state Legislature and has spent his life working to assure Montanans have access to their constitutional right to vote. He said it doesn't matter who is running for office or what side of the aisle the candidate is on, people have a right to vote and voice their opinions.

"I believe in my heart that all Montanans should be able to cast a ballot," he said.

Bennett said the Secretary of State's Office is the most important office on the ballot for the upcoming election because the office oversees the state's democratic system. 

"Everything that happens in our political world is founded on a strong democracy," he said. "If we don't have a system that works, that allows all Montanans have their voice heard, then everything else is flawed from that point forward."

He said he wants to assure that is not the case. 

One thing he wants to do if elected is to assemble a council made up of small business owners from across the state to serve as an advisory role for the Secretary of State's Office, he said. It will help the office know more of what small businesses are experiencing and better support small businesses.

He also wants to make it a priority to take down the barriers which make it harder for Montanans to vote, he added. He said by establishing things such as automatic voter registration, online voter registration and partnering with tribal governments to make satellite voting locations permanent, people can be assured that the county's democracy is working for everyone.

He said that these programs are particularly important in rural areas such as north-central Montana.

"There are too many people who look at all of these issues and say, 'What is the point?'" Bennett said, adding that apathy is at the heart of the problems facing the country.

"If people lose faith in their democracy, we have lost a lot more than anything else," he said.

He got into the Legislature because he wanted to help make a change to assure all Montanans have the same rights and their voices are equally heard, Bennett said, and is running for secretary of state to continue his mission.