Informed Voting
Mike Cast, Leader Staff
As Election Day nears, absentee ballots and early voters are flooding into the Lake County Election Office. There have been over 5,300 absentee ballots submitted as of noon Thursday, according to Lake County Election Administrator Kathie Newgard.
Newgard believes more than 6,000 absentee ballots will be turned in by Nov. 4, when most people will go to cast their votes.
Because this is a highly contested election, Newgard says the office has been getting an unusually high number votes in early, with the rate increasing in the day's leading up to Nov. 4. With the start of hunting season upon them, many people are getting absentee ballots so they will not need to vote in person.
Although voting turnout is generally high in Montana compared to many other states, and Lake County's turnout rate averaging close to the state average, Newgard thinks Lake County may be on course to reach a staggering turnout of 80 percent this year -considerably higher than normal.
Senior voters typically have a high turnout, but this year the turnout of younger and first-time voters will most likely be higher than normal, as well, she said.
First-time voter Chelsi Camel said, this year, a lot of people are voting for the first time.
"Hopefully it will make a difference. Before, I didn't vote because I didn't think it made a difference," Camel said.
Camel was escorted to the office as an early voter by Jason Smith, Get Out the Vote coordinator for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. In his efforts to reach voters, Smith has already taken approximately 50 people to vote within the past week and hopes to reach more than 100 by election day.
"But more than that - just by getting the word out," Smith said.
His nonpartisan campaign has been encouraging voter registration and actual voting with events and visits to neighborhoods throughout the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Another voter who joined Smith for an early vote was Cara Irvine-Croft.
"This year's going to be a big difference from other elections," she said.
Irvine-Croft believes that voting early makes a vote really count.
"Because I feel like it makes a difference in what people will decide to vote for later," she said.
Newgard recognized the efforts of Smith and his project.
"The Tribe has always been pretty active about getting their members out to vote," she said.
As Lake County residents get ready to vote, there is some important information to remember.
Absentee ballots must be submitted by 8 p.m. on election day and can be picked up until noon the day before election day. Absentee ballots will not be counted if envelopes are not signed.
On election day, voting is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at designated polls. If voters do not bring picture identification to their local polling office, they can vote provisionally, but this requires they bring a picture ID to the election office by 5 p.m. the next day. Newgard wants to remind voters that voting early is advisable, and to please be patient when going to the polls.
As far as planning and equipment, Newgard believes the Lake County voting staff has the bases covered.
"I believe things will go very smoothly on election day," she said.
Items on all Lake County General Election ballots:
Federal and State:
For President and Vice President:
John McCain, Sarah Palin, Republican
Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Democratic
Ralph Nader, Matt Gonzalez, Independent
Ron Paul, Michael Peroutka, Constitution
Bob Barr, Wayne Allen Root, Libertarian
For United States Senator:
Bob Kelleher, Republican
Max Baucus, Democratic
For United States Representative:
Denny Rehberg, Republican
John Driscoll, Democratic
Mike Fellows, Libertarian
For Governor and Lt. Governor:
Brian Schweitzer, John Bohlinger, Democratic
Roy Brown, Steve Daines, Republican
Stan Jones, Michael Baker, Libertarian
For Secretary of State:
Sieglinde Sharbono, Constitution
Brad Johnson, Republican
Linda McCulloch, Democratic
For Attorney General:
Tim Fox, Republican
Steve Bullock, Democratic
For State Auditor:
Monica J. Lindeen, Democratic
Duane Grimes, Republican
For State Superintendent of Public Instruction:
Denise Juneau, Democratic
Donald J. Eisenmenger, Libertarian
Elaine Sollie Herman, Republican
For Supreme Court Chief Justice:
Ron Waterman, nominated without party designation
Mike McGrath, nominated without party designation
For Supreme Court Justice No. 3:
Shall Supreme Court Justice No. 3 Patricia Cotter remain in office for another term? Yes or No?
For District Court Judge, District No. 20, Department No. 1:
C.B. McNeil, nominated without party designation
Joey Jayne, nominated without party designation
For Clerk of the District Court:
Lyn Platt Fricker, Republican
For County Commissioner District No. 1:
William "Bill" Barron, Republican
Jeanne Windham, Democratic
Ballot Issues:
Constitutional Amendment No. 44, an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Montana, proposed by the Legislature
FOR or AGAINST allowing up to 25 percent of all public funds presently restricted to fixed income investments to be invested in
private corporate capital stock.
Legislative Referendum No. 118, an act referred by the Montana State Legislature
For or AGAINST imposing a levy of 6 mills for the support of the Montana university system.
Initiative No. 155, a law proposed by initiative petition
FOR OR AGAINST the creation of the Healthy Montana Kids plan, expanding CHIP and Medicaid elegibility for uninsured children, coordinating children's health coverage, and encouraging enrollment of eligible children
Items specific to State Representative District No. 15
Frosty Calf Boss Ribs, Democratic
Items specific to State Representative District No. 11:
Pat Estenson, Democratic
Janna Taylor, Republican
Items specific to State Senator District No. 6:
John Brueggeman, Republican
M. Neal Donohue, Constitution
Ballot issue:
FOR or AGAINST creation and funding of the North Library District
Items specific to District No. 9:
For State Representative District No. 9:
Edd Blackler, Democratic
Scott M. Reichner, Republican
SItems specific to District No. 12:
For State Representative District No. 12:
John Fleming, Democratic
Ron Marquardt, Republican
Items specific to State Senator District No. 6:
M. Neal Donohue, Constitution
John Neal Brueggeman, Republican