Dear Editor,
To limit the spread of COVID-19, Governor Bullock issued an Executive Directive, with unanimous Legislature leadership bi-partisan support, allowing Montana’s counties to use all mail-in ballots for the June 2 primary election. Voting by mail allows Montanans to avoid person-to-person contact at polling places, protecting both voters and election workers.
The ballots were mailed out to registered voters on May 8. You can check to see that you are registered at your current address at https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo/ Any U.S. citizen turning 18 before June 2 and a Montana resident for 30 days before the election can register to vote. Anyone not voting in the last presidential election or recently moving may need to re-register.
If you are not registered or need to change your address, you can use the link at the Secretary of State’s website, https://sosmt.gov/elections/vote/ Print out the application, complete and mail it to your county election office by May 26. Thereafter, late registration requires in-person contact. Voters can register and vote in-person on June 2 but with social distancing may encounter long lines.
The League of Women Voters believes that voting is a fundamental citizen right and responsibility. By registering and voting by mail, we can ensure a safe primary election for all Montana voters during this time of extraordinary challenges.
Betty Whiting,
President
League of Women Voters Billings
