Voter registration held on Sept. 24
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POLSON – It’s nearly time for Lake County residents to make their voices heard in the upcoming local, state and national elections, but only those with an up-to-date registered-voter status can cast votes.
On Sept. 24, National Voter Registration Day, citizens can register to vote or update their registration in front of the Lake County Courthouse. From 8:10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., residents can register on the front lawn of the courthouse. The event is part of a national effort to get voters registered before election season.
Lake County Elections Administrator Katie Harding said the event will make it easier for citizens to take part in the democratic process. “It’s nice that [residents] participate in local issues and want their voice heard,” she said.
Several elections will be happening in the next six months. Voters can express their opinion about local issues like the Polson School District bond and Lake County’s levy to fund a jail this fall. Federal elections will be held in 2020.
It’s not just 18-year-olds and first-time voters who need to worry about registering. Newlyweds who changed their names will need to update their records to vote. Those who have a new mailing address will need to update their registration.
Local elections are conducted by mail-in ballot, so without the correct mailing address, residents will not be able to vote. Harding said that it’s not possible to forward a ballot. She said people who will miss an election because they spend winters away from the area need to register for an absentee ballot.
Residents who did not participate in the 2016 Federal General Election may have an inactive voter registration. Inactive voters will not be sent mail-in ballots. This issue can be fixed at the voter registration booth.
Those who are not able to make it to the registration event can walk into the courthouse during business hours to register. Voter registration can also be completed online. The Lake County election website and the Montana Secretary of State website have options for registering. Public services offices also have the forms. The Lake County Elections office can also mail voter registration paperwork to residents. Questions can be directed to the elections office at 406-883-7268.
