Letter to the Editor - Voters still have options

Editor,

I am one of the election judges who made the hard decision to not work at the polls this year. I am in a vulnerable age group. It was a difficult decision to make, as I have been an election judge for many many years. It can be a long and tiring day (6:30 a.m. until late evening), yet it is satisfying in knowing it is a service to our country.

Of course, I had certainly hoped for all mail-in ballots. Yet now, because of the two county commissioners who voted against all mail-in ballots, my decision is even more difficult as there will be fewer polling places, more inconvenience, and greater risk to the judges and voters. This makes me very sad. Thus, I sincerely apologize to all those affected by my decision and hope you will understand why I felt I could not serve as an election judge for this election.

Voters do have options, though. Any voter, who does not feel safe or have the time to stand in line to vote, can vote early at the court house or by absentee ballot. For details on these voting options, call the Clerk and Recorders Office in the Hill County Courthouse at 265-5481, ext. 2323.

However, if you do choose to return an absentee ballot by mail, there are two related and very compelling reasons to return that absentee ballot early and not leave it until the last minute:

1. Recent cut backs by the U.S. Postal Service have already resulted in mail delays. The Postal Service has warned that by election time mail will be even slower, and that the ballots may not automatically be considered first class mail, thus delivery time would even be slower.

2. Montana law states that all ballots must be physically at the Court House by election day. Bottom Line: It does not matter what day the returned absentee ballot is postmarked. If the ballot has not been received at the court house by 8 p.m. on election day, it will not be counted. Period.

Marie Ann Toldness

Havre