How to Vote in Missoula and How to Get Your Ballot

If you're in full 2020 mode and have no idea what month it is, Election Day is coming up on November 3rd, that's just 3 weeks away. By the way, there are no classes at the U of M on Election Day, I recently heard that and thought I'd share. But anyway, if you did NOT receive your official ballot in the mail, you need to contact the Missoula Elections Office TODAY. The office is at 140 North Russell, just south of Pink Grizzly and across from Home Resource. You can also email them at electioninfo@missoulacounty.us and there's also that old school thing where you dial them up and speak to a human, 258-4751.

If you have received your ballot, the postage is paid but keep in mind that you must get it mailed in before October 27th. Don't leave it sitting on the kitchen counter until Election Day. If you want to drop off your ballot in person, the Elections Office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to take them. They will be open on Saturdays, with extended weekday hours starting on October 24th. On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd, you can drop off ballots at a variety of places, including Missoula Early Learning Center, McCormick Park, Missoula County Fairgrounds, the Adams Center and Clearwater Credit Union on Reserve Street.

If you're not sure about some of the issues on your ballot, Ballotpedia is helpful in supplying what "For" and "Against" means for each initiative, as sometimes those are worded ass backward on the official ballot, and the book you received in the mail is also very useful. You can also just Google search to find short answers.

NBC Montana reports that some Montana voters are finding smudges or small black dots in some of their ballot ovals. Double check that your ballot isn't marked in any way that prevents your vote from being counted, the Elections Office can issue you a new ballot if needed. A friend of mine got so excited to vote, he got a bloody nose all over his ballot, and the Elections Office kindly replaced it. So it's easy, and they are helpful, if you have any voter questions at all, reach out to the Elections Office!