Bozeman, Mont. — A legal battle over President Trump’s mail-in ballot restrictions could affect how many Montana voters take part in elections ahead of ballots going out October 9th for the midterm elections.
Trump asked the Supreme Court to reject an order from a federal judge that would have blocked his administration from imposing limits on mail-in ballots. The restrictions come from an executive order he signed in March.
Part of that order sought to create a list of eligible voters in each state and stop the Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to voters not on the approved list.
Those potential restrictions would also impact the treasure state, as voting by mail is widely used across Montana. According to Gallatin County Election Administrator Eric Semerad, about 83 percent of voters are currently voting by mail. He says mail-ballot elections also play a regular role in Montana elections outside of those which are federal.
"Typically, all of our elections that are non-federal elections are all mail-ballot elections. So, when we run a municipal election or a special district election or a school election, all of those elections are conducted by just mail, and there is no polling places," said Semerad.
As the legal proceedings continue with the Trump Administrations mail-ballot restrictions, voter advocacy groups in Montana are urging community members to stay engaged in their local politics ahead of November's midterm elections.
"Maybe there won't be any changes, maybe there will be. In any case, it's a good idea to know your registration status. If you're an absentee, to be on the lookout for that ballot in the mail, and to make sure that you're ready well ahead of time," said Daniel Bruce, a member of the board of directors for the Montana Election Observation Initiative.
Anyone concerned about voter registration status or absentee and mail-in ballots can visit Montana’s voter portal at voterportal.mt.gov to learn more.
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