MISSOULA - Increasing voter turnout is one of the challenges facing the Missoula County Elections office. In an effort to get more people to participate in the election process, the elections office is utilizing outreach and voter education. Maintaining an active voter status not only saves voters time but also helps save taxpayer dollars at the polls.
In the 2014 November Federal General election, Missoula County had 85,905 registered voters but only 42,607 ballots were cast, a 49 percent turnout. In 2016, residents in the Swan, Clearwater and Blackfoot Valleys will have at least three opportunities to cast their vote: May 6 in local elections including the Greenough/Potomac Fire Board, Swan Valley Community Council and the Seeley Lake Elementary School board and General Levy; the June 7 Federal primaries; Aug. 9 special election for those that live in the Seeley Lake Sewer District; and the Federal General and Presidential Election Nov. 8. In order to participate, residents must register and be an active voter with the Missoula County Elections office.
According to Missoula County Elections Administrator Rebecca Connors, there are four voter statuses for registered voters: active, inactive, provisional and absentee.
Active voters are those that have maintained communication with the Missoula County Elections Office. They have received a voter registration card that indicates the closest polling place.
Inactive voters are registered in Missoula County but did not participate in the last election nor have they responded to mailers sent by the elections office. According to Connors, inactive voters receive two letters in the mail with a return service requested. The Elections Office utilizes the forwardable national change of address to try to capture those voters who have moved.
In 2014, the Elections Office sent out 13,000 letters and received less than 2,000 responses.
“That’s part of being a college town,” said Connors. “A lot of voters are transient.”
If the Elections Office does not hear back from the registered voter, the voter’s status drops to inactive. To become active again, the person must submit a short letter to the Elections Office or appear at a voting place where they will be asked to fill out a voter registration.
Connors emphasized that for mail ballot elections, inactive voters do not receive a ballot in the mail. They must have an active status prior to Election Day to be able to vote.
As of April 8, there are 186 inactive voters of 844 in Potomac, 206 inactive voters out of 1,370 in Seeley Lake and 62 of 375 voters in the Swan are inactive.
Provisional status may be given to someone if his or her voter eligibility is in question. This includes unwilling to show photo id, voter’s name does not appear on the electoral roll, voter’s registration contains inaccurate information or the voter is registered as an absentee and they have already received their official ballot in the mail. Provisional voters must provide their Montana driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number to verify their identity. The ballot does not count until their identity has been verified by 5 p.m. the day after elections.
Absentee voters receive their official ballot in the mail regardless if the election is a mail ballot or polling place election. According to Connors, many people choose this status so they have time to review their ballot more thoroughly or are unable to get to a polling place on Election Day. The absentee return rate for Missoula County has been as high as 90 percent in past elections.
Montana is one of the few states that allow late registration, registering during the 29 days leading up to Election Day. Of those who voted in Missoula County in the November 2014 election, 1,401 were late registrants and 857 were registered the same day of elections. This is 18 percent of the statewide late registrations, the highest in the state.
Because of the additional time required by late and same day registration and because Missoula County has the largest number of polling places in Montana, a large number of Election Judges are required. For the 2016 Presidential Election more than 800 judges have been hired. Connors said that an average of 60 percent of the cost for the elections pays for staffing the polling places. Mail ballot elections cost $60,000 to $65,000 while Federal General Elections at the polls cost more than $200,000. Even with the increased cost, Missoula County is not considering consolidating polling places like many counties in Montana have done.
“We want voters to have a positive experience,” said Connors. “Whether that is showing up at a polling place or voting by mail, we want to facilitate that process.”
Connors said that although some people choose not to register to vote because they may be chosen for jury duty, as of Oct. 1, 2007 the jury pool includes registered voters and vehicle registration.
“We wish all elections would have the turnout we see during presidential elections,” said Connors. “Local elections are the ones that have the most direct impact for voters. We often hear that people think that their vote doesn’t matter. Many elections [including city ward, Senate District and the recent Missoula County Public School bond] are decided by one vote or a handful of votes. [18,000 registered voters did not vote in the MCPS bond election and it was passed by 300 votes]. Every vote counts.”
For more information contact the Elections Office at 406-258-4751 or visit their homepage at http://www.missoulacounty.us/government/administration/elections-office. Voters can check on their voter status by clicking on the My Voter Page on the Election Office homepage.
Reader Comments(0)