Hill County commissioner rebuffs mail-ballot petition

State Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, who has been gathering signatures for a petition asking the Hill County Commission to reconsider its recent decision not to implement mail-in voting for the upcoming 2020 general election, had a meeting with Hill County commissioners Diane McLean and Mark Peterson Tuesday to present the petition.

Bachmeier started the petition drive in his capacity as a resident of Hill County who supports having the all-mail ballots.

In an op-ed submitted to the Havre Daily News this morning, Bachmeier said Peterson told him that he welcomed the petition during an earlier call, but at Tuesday’s meeting said he doesn’t take petitions as seriously as people who contact him directly.

He said Peterson was perfectly respectful during the meeting, but interactions with McLean got heated.

“She seemed to take the whole situation very personally,” Bachmeier said in an interview this morning.

Bachmeier said he then sent out emails to his network in the county asking them to contact Peterson directly if they wanted him to change his mind after the meeting.

He urged people contacting Peterson not to get heated over the issue.

“As frustrating as the situation is, I encourage you to be polite and respectful in your contact with him,” the email said, “Getting mad will only turn him off.”

Bachmeier said that immediately after he sent the email, including CCing it to Peterson, he received a call from Peterson saying he was offended by the email and that he would no longer take the resulting calls into consideration.

“I’m not really sure I understand his reasoning, I don’t know why that’s so offensive,” Bachmeier said this morning.

Peterson said this morning he was occupied and could not answer questions at the time he was called. He had not called The Havre Daily News back by print deadline this morning.

McLean had not responded to a call and email requesting comment by print deadline this morning.