Broadwater County Elections Activity Update
Author: MT43 News Staff Reporter
Broadwater County Elections Activity Update
Election activities continue to move forward in Broadwater County since the October 11 mailing of absentee ballots. According to Elections Administrator Angie Paulsen, 53 percent of all the ballots mailed from her office have already been returned and accepted.
With less than a week away from the election, the county’s return percentage is higher than the final primary election return results received in June. Paulsen is hoping for high ballot return numbers for the approximately 6,000 registered voters in the county.
Paulsen’s office sent out 3,705 absentee ballots, some of which have been returned undeliverable, due to various reasons such as voters not updating their registration or the voter is deceased. She has also been fielding calls from voters who want to register past the October 7 registration deadline. She explained: "Voters can still register until election day, November 5, except noon-5:00 p.m. the day before the election, but they must come in person with their identification. Otherwise, registration by mail is closed.”
Paulsen said polling place volunteers are trained and ready to go. Thirty-five people will work the polls in Toston, Winston and at the school. They have had extensive training sessions earlier in the year in preparation for the primary and general elections. These volunteers are prepared to work the long hours of election day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. when the polls close.
While Paulsen has had some crank calls questioning the process in Broadwater County, she has been able to assure people the election will proceed without a hitch. Once the ballots are received Tuesday night, the work is just beginning. After she reconciles all precinct ballot certification reports, she will report the official count to the Secretary of State’s office.
Paulsen and her office employees begin the procedure to ready the ballots for the official audit by the post-election audit committee which hand tallies each vote from randomly selected precincts, candidates and initiatives chosen randomly at the state level. The audit committee then compares the tallied votes to the election day machine totals. This audit will take place at the Flynn Building on November 14 beginning at 8:30 a.m. The official general election canvass begins Monday, November 18 at 9:00 a.m. also in the Flynn Building. Both activities are open to the public.
Paulsen pointed out every voter received a Voter Information Pamphlet in the mail. The pamphlet explains the ballot initiatives CI-126, 127 and 128. If voters did not receive a pamphlet, they can pick up one at the elections office in the courthouse or access it online at https://sosmt.gov/electins/vip/. If a voter has questions, please contact Paulsen’s office at (406) 266-3405.
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Image 1 Caption: Broadwater County Clerk and Recorder, Elections Administrator and County Surveyor Angie Paulsen
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