Mail ballot bill defeated, county scrambles for special election

Last Friday there was a final attempt to hold a mail ballot election in May for Montana’s vacant seat in Congress. But the attempt to revive the bill failed in the House with only 51 votes. The motion needed 60 out of the 100 House members in order to pass.

Senate Bill 305 would have allowed counties to choose to conduct the May 25 election by mail. It would also have allowed voting to be conducted at the county courthouses, as well as at satellite offices depending on how each county wanted to handle the election. Former U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, resigned to become Secretary of the Interior in the Trump administration leaving his seat vacant. The election will be between Democratic candidate, Rob Quist and Republican, Greg Gianforte.

Mineral County commissioner chairman, Roman Zylawy said in last year’s general election the county spent approximately $15,000. The mail in ballot would have cost about half as much, around $7,500.

“It’s up to each county to pay for the special election,” Zylawy said, “but with the general election there’s time to plan and budget for that expense. This was an unforeseen expense and I don’t know where we will come up with the money.”

Commissioners were not prepared for this outcome and are just now starting to discuss their strategy for the upcoming election in May.

“Our representatives were pushing hard for fiscal mindfulness to prevail,” he said.

It isn’t just the expense that makes this process difficult, it’s also the polling places and volunteers needed. The election is just before Memorial Day weekend, which could make it difficult to find volunteers who maybe leaving for the holiday. High school graduations are also taking place that weekend, and some polling places are located at the school. Creating the need to find new locations.

Zylawy said the bill allowed counties to decide how they wanted to conduct the election. They had the option of a mail ballot or to have polling places, including the county courthouse. He said the county will probably have to consolidate some of its polling locations. Plus go back to the budget and see where cuts can be made, perhaps postponing a new roof, or forego repairs that had previously been added to the budget.

“We had several counties begging for it (to pass), but they didn’t listen to us at all,” he said.

According to reports, Montana State Republican Party, state Rep. Jeff Essmann, had sent out an email to party members warning that its passage would mean higher turnout and a lower chance of winning for Republicans.

However, Rep. Denley Loge, R-St. Regis, said in his weekly legislative update, that he discounts that idea.

“If you read the bill, there would have been only one polling site in Mineral County and one or possibly two polling sites in Sanders County to vote at if you had not gotten your ballot,” he stated. “If people are on vacation or not back from winter stays, I was worried they might miss the opportunity to vote.”

He said there was a lot of discussion over the bill and that counties were in favor of the bill due to the cost savings with mail ballots. However, the reservation populations were against it because their voter mailing lists were not accurate.

Though the bill had passed in the Senate by a comfortable margin, in the House Judiciary Committee earlier this week it had been indefinitely tabled. That’s when Rep. Geraldine Custer, R-Forsyth, tried to “blast” the bill. A blast motion is an attempt to revive a bill that has been stalled in committee, only to meet a final defeat.

“I feel the outcome is best for the voters,” said Loge, “but I do know the counties will have more expenses. One of our most important and responsible acts of freedom is to vote and I feel our present method protects that right.”

Though he knew his decision to vote against reviving the bill would be an unpopular one back home, he felt that for the overall integrity of the election process, polling would be better.

“I know the expense is something we have to consider,” Loge said, “but, I think being able to vote is more important.”

In reading the bill, where there would only need to be one polling place out of 5,000 residents, plus concerns expressed by the reservations, he decided the traditional election process was best.

During the session, legislative representatives heard from reservation populations who were very much against the bill due to the fact that the voter’s mailing lists are not accurate.

Loge noted that one legislator had used his counties electorate mailing list to send out cards to over 800 constituents two months ago and over 200 were returned due to no recipient at that address. That is over one-fourth of voters that would not get their ballot, he said.