Trego's Mountain Ear

The front page of the TVNews, November 1 states the following:  The Montana Secretary of State election calendar gives Oct. 18 through Oct. 23 as valid ballot mailing dates, stating: “If conducting election by mail ballot, absentee ballots are sent during this period.  A single mailing date must be chosen that is 20-15 days before the election.”

When I had not received a ballot, I decided to email the elections department about it – here’s the exchange:

To: lcelections
Greetings – as I write this, no ballot has arrived in the mail for Michael McCurry, of Trego.  Ballots have arrived for my wife, my daughter, and my son-in-law last week, so my assumption is that something got fouled up.

Please get me a ballot in time for me to use it.

I am, respectfully
Michael McCurry

Good morning, Michael.

Our system shows that your ballot was sent out 10/25/2023. If you would like us to void that ballot out and reissue you a new ballot, please let us know.

 Sierra Gustin
Lincoln County
Elections Assistant
418 Mineral Ave
(406) 283-2304

My mailbox still lacks a ballot on 10/30.  My recommendation is to void the missing ballot and try get another ballot to me.  Just to make sure all is well, my address is PO Box 508, Trego, MT 59934-0508.

let me know when it goes in the mail, and I will watch carefully.

mike

I will get a ballot in the mail for you tomorrow. Since it’s going out close to the election, we suggest you take it to the Eureka sheriff’s office and put it in the ballot drop box before election day so we can be sure it arrives at the election center in time. 

Thank you,

Well, I got the ballot in time to rush it in to the cop shop – but in my rush to send it in forgot the privacy envelope, so I’m pretty sure my vote didn’t count.  Still, even if I had received the ballot that was reported mailed on 10/25, the Secretary of State’s website last date to mail was 10/23.  The names and faces at the Lincoln County Elections office change frequently, but the performance remains the same.