GREAT FALLS — Mail ballot counting is underway in Cascade County. It started Monday morning at Exhibition Hall at the ExpoPark in Great Falls and was scheduled to end for the day at around 4 p.m.
The ballot counting machines will be locked down until counting begins again Tuesday.
To ensure the machines and ballots are not tampered with, security will be on hand while the machines are locked down.
Cascade County Clerk & Recorder Rina Fontana-Moore said on Monday morning that just under 80% of ballots mailed out had been returned.
"Tomorrow, we can release our first set of numbers as soon as soon as the last voter has left the hall,” Fontana-Moore said. "Our system is a very robust system. We're used to running full mail ballot elections, so Montana's, I think, election will be ready to be over on Wednesday.”
The Cascade County Elections Office provides the following information about the November 3rd general election.
Expanded Hours
We have expanded our office hours at 325 2nd Avenue North to accommodate the folks that wish to drop their ballots off in-person. Our office hours are as follows:
- Monday, November 2nd: 7 am to 5 pm, Ballot Drop-Off Only at 325 2nd Avenue North. Ballot drop-off will be available at Exhibition Hall at Montana ExpoPark from 7 am to 5 pm. Voter registration will be available from 7 am to noon
Election Day
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020: Ballot drop-off, drive-by ballot drop-off, and in-person voting will take place at Exhibition Hall at Montana ExpoPark from 7 am to 8 pm.
Auto-Mark Voting MachineWe will provide additional places of deposit that will be equipped with an auto-mark voting machine on Election Day only (Tuesday) and the hours of operation will be 7 am to 8 pm and are as follows:
- Belt Senior Center - 19 Castner Street
- Main Office - 325 2nd Avenue North
- Sun River Senior Center - 13319 Montana Highway 200, Fort Shaw
- Vaughn Volunteer Fire Station - 14 4th Street
- Wedsworth Hall, Cascade - 13 Front Street
If you have questions or need more information, call the Elections Office at 406-454-6803, or click here to visit the website.
