Flathead County officials on Monday adopted a resolution to hold the June 2 primary election using mail-only ballots in an effort to protect the health and safety of voters and poll workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Flathead County Election Manager Monica Eisenzimer said ballots would be sent out to all 68,949 active voters beginning May 8, while mail-only voter registration would be extended through May 26. Voters can do that online at https://flathead.mt.gov/election/. After May 26, voters can still register to vote in person, but county officials are urging everyone to ensure they are registered ahead of time.
Eisenzimer said the shift to a mail-only primary doesn’t put any additional strain on her office because nearly 40,000 voters were already signed up to receive absentee ballots.
On March 25, Gov. Steve Bullock issued a directive that allows, but doesn’t require, counties to conduct primary elections by mail. A postage stamp would not be required to mail a ballot.
Flathead County Commissioner Randy Brodehl encouraged residents to check their voter registration status now to ensure they receive their mail ballots, particularly amid calls for widespread social distancing.
“If people will take the initiative today to make sure they are registered to vote it would help our community a lot,” Brodehl said. “Right now we are at nine cases in Flathead County that we know of and we are really trying to do everything in our power to take social distancing seriously and keep folks safe.”
To register to vote, check your voter registration status or find additional resources, visit https://flathead.mt.gov/election/