Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Administrator discusses all-mail election

Jefferson County Election officials announced in late August they would be conducting an all-mail ballot election. The Jefferson County Commissioners voted earlier this month against a resolution that would have reversed the decision.

The issue has led to concern for some local residents who asked for county officials for more clarification about the mail ballot process. To address concerns, Election Administrator Bonnie Ramey discussed the process in an email sent to county resident Bob Sims.

When asked how the process works and who ballots are sent to, Ramey said the ballots are sent to all active and provisional registered voters. The UOCAVA (military and overseas voters) ballots have to be sent before September 19 and for other voters by October 9 and must be back to the election office by November 3 at 8 p.m.

Sims also asked about when the ballots are evaluated. Ramey said ballots are evaluated when they are received, and this includes on election day. She added ballots returned in the mail and received after the election are noted as rejected – late for the election, in their software.

Ramey reported the six staff members who process the ballot return envelopes and in order to reject a signature, she or Leslie Martini has to approve the rejection.

Ramey and Martini attended a three-day Secretary of State Raining and with the rest of the staff receiving training using the same materials.

Ramey told Sims if a ballot is rejected the voter is sent a letter immediately and they also try to contact them via phone or email if they have that information. When asked if this person could re-vote, Ramey said usually the voters send them the information to resolve the ballot as there is no reason to re-vote. She added if the voter resolves the issues prior to 8 p.m. on election day the ballot is counted election day.

"If the ballot is not resolved by 8 p.m. on election day, the ballot is in a provisional status. If the ballot is resolved as required by law – the ballot is counted at 3 p.m. on Monday after the election. 98% of our rejected ballots are for lack of any signature on the return ballot envelope. We have changed our envelopes with a green box and arrow to the signature line reminding voters to sign the envelope," she said.

 

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