Good afternoon, Beacon readers! Mariah Thomas here with your Daily Roundup, and it’s a special week and month if you ask me.

Yesterday marked National Voter Registration Day, today is Constitution Day and this whole month is National Voter Registration Month. All of it has this reporter, who covers state politics, thinking about the importance of casting a ballot. And I’m not the only one — I got a press release in my inbox from Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen yesterday.

“National Voter Registration Day reminds us all of the critical role civic engagement plays in shaping our communities, state and country,” Jacobsen said. “The Montana Election Team urges eligible Montanans to take this significant step toward their civic duty by ensuring they are registered to vote.”

This year, there aren’t any statewide or national races that will appear on the ballot. But there are no off years when it comes to elections. The focus for the 2025 election cycle is local: municipal elections are happening across the valley this November.

Election Day is Nov. 4, to be exact.

Flathead County has a jail bond on the ballot. Kalispell has a competitive race for mayor and several competitive races for seats on its city council. Columbia Falls has a competitive race for seats on its city council, too. Plus, voters in the Columbia Falls School District boundaries will have a chance to weigh in on an $84.8 million bond ask to renovate the high school. And in Whitefish, four people have filed for the three city council seats up for election.

Those city councilors will play roles when it comes to adopting city budgets, appropriating funds for city programs and services and more.

“Every eligible Montanan deserves to have their voice heard, and registering to vote is a crucial step in making that happen,” Jacobsen said. “On this National Voter Registration Day, I encourage Montanans to verify their voter registration information is current and accurate. Engaging in this important process ensures your participation not only in local elections but also in next year’s midterm elections.”

If you’re a Montana resident who hasn’t registered to vote, you can fill out the state’s voter registration application and return it to the Flathead County Elections Office. That’s located at 290 B N. Main St. in Kalispell. To be eligible to register, you need to be a U.S. citizen, a Montana resident for at least 30 days prior to the election and at least 18 years old.

If you register to vote after Oct. 7, you’ll have to obtain a ballot in person to vote. And thanks to a law passed by the state legislature in 2021, registration closes at 12 p.m. Nov. 3, the day before the election. So, if you want to vote in this year’s municipal elections, make sure you’re registered by then.

Even if you are registered to vote, I’d also encourage you to make sure your registration is up to date before the election.

Ballots will be mailed out for the municipal elections Oct. 17. To be counted, your ballot must be received at the election office by 8 p.m. Nov. 4.

And now, the rest of your Daily Roundup.

Meet Libby! She’s an 8-year-old German shepherd mix, and just look at that sweet face. Ugh, my heart!

To find out more about Libby and other pet adoption opportunities at the Humane Society of Northwest Montana go to: www.humanesocietypets.com. To donate to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, visit the organization’s donation page here.