Mail-in election procedures detailed

Staff and wire report

With mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 presidential election approved by the Hill County Commission, the Hill County Clerk and Recorder’s Office has provided information on how the election will proceed.

A release from the Clerk and Recorder’s Office said the election will be conducted by mail ballot with an in-person voting option available Oct. 2 through Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Registration and ballot request deadlines have also been extended.

“We hope that voters will take advantage of the opportunity to vote through the mail and to vote early,” the release said. “This will reduce the number of people that need to vote in-person on Election Day, and will therefore reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission to voters and election workers. For some voters, appearing in-person will be the best or only option. Our in-person operations will be socially distanced and operated according to public health guidelines. Your right to vote and your safety are important to us.”

The release said this is how it will work for voters:

• Ballots will be mailed to active and provisionally registered voters starting Oct. 9.

• In-person voting is available Oct. 2 through Election Day, Nov. 3, at the Clerk and Recorders Office. At the in-person voting location people can:

o    Vote and drop-off the ballot they received in the mail.

o    Request and vote a ballot.

• Return postage is prepaid. People do not need to add any postage to the return envelope if they return their ballot by mail.

• The Clerk and Recorder’s Office will continue to mail out ballots on a daily basis as new requests are processed. Within a week of the election, the office staff recommends people appear in-person to request a ballot if they have not yet voted.

• Registration and address updates can be faxed or mailed in until Oct. 26. After that date people would need to come in person to register and vote.

• Ballots should be returned by mail at least one week before Election Day. If pepole don’t have their ballot in the mail by then, they should drop it off in person.

To prepare, people can:

• Make sure their registration is up to date by visiting http://www.MyVoterPageMT.com .

• “Be a source of trusted election information in your community,” the release said. “Direct voting questions to your local elections office or the Secretary of State’s election office.”