The days leading up to Tuesday's Primary Elections are busy for the elections department at the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings. Election workers field questions, accept ballots, and replace lost ones.
Yellowstone Co. Election Administrator Ginger Aldrich describes the preparations as “fast and furious.”
“The City of Billings had their elections last year. This one, because it’s a federal and county election, it is for the whole county,” Aldrich said. “So, some voters last year didn’t receive ballots, but everybody’s getting a ballot for this one if they are a registered voter, if they’re an active voter.”
Aldrich is busy running between the courthouse offices, the building down the street where workers are verifying signatures, and Tuesday’s central polling and late registration place—MetraPark. She says polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
“We are not by law allowed to release any results until the last voter in the county is out of line at our polling places and has the opportunity to vote, so as soon as that happens - as soon as I get a call from all 9 of our polling locations, we will be releasing the first tier of results,” Aldrich said.
Voters’ polling locations may have changed due to redistricting. Voters can find their polling place by looking it up on the Montana secretary of state’s website.
