Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder and Election Administrator Regina Plettenberg, who had been considering a single consolidated polling place for the coming general elections, came forward Tuesday morning and submitted a plan for full mail ballot instead. Plettenberg noted that the choice of in-person voting was still an option for voters, but no polling places would be established. Any individual voter who wants can void their mail ballot and have an official ballot issued to them that they may then file in-person at the county administration building.
Plettenberg, who had recommended a full mail-only ballot, had tentatively agreed to the compromise solution of the establishing a single polling place at the Fairgrounds, until she set about figuring out the logistics in detail.
After examining the logistics, she told the county commissioners, “With every fiber of my being, I feel like it’s a mistake if we don’t go with a mail ballot, especially after having tried to plan this over the last week.” She said the ballot was exceptionally long and could lead to delays as people have to spend so long in the ballot booth.
Plettenberg said that, even though some people disagreed, she still had to observe social distancing requirements. She said large events have become a real challenge for everyone.
“Now you have tasked me with an incredible challenge to get this done in one day,” she said. She said holding a mail-out ballot election does not preclude individuals who desire it from voting in person. There is a way for people to get a ballot and submit it in person if that is their desire, she said. She said she didn’t see much difference in driving down to the County Administration office to vote rather than to the Fairgrounds. The opportunity to vote in person would be extended over a month so people don’t have to crowd in all at once. She said, for working people, the plan also provides for voting in person over the weekend prior to the November 3 election day.
Plettenberg said that, since 35 counties in the state have already declared mail-out ballot elections, including Missoula County, opening a polling place here could be confusing to voters who will be seeing all the Missoula promotion concerning a mail-out election.
While some people claim that in-person voting is a constitutional right, she said, voting is a constitutional right, “but I haven’t found anywhere in the constitution where it says anything about polling or mailing.” Nonetheless, she said, the explicit instructions for casting a ballot in person will be printed on the back of the envelope containing the mail-in ballot.
Plettenberg said that the mail-out ballot elections in the primary in Ravalli County went well. She said the Post Office handled it well. She said mail-out ballots are not forwardable, the process was safe, and that it was a proven effective way of holding an election.
Plettenberg said that she was not looking for the commissioners’ approval, she was simply putting forth the best possible plan for the elections given the very unique circumstances of this pandemic. She said her decision to present this plan for a full mail-out election was an administrative decision and not a political one.
“Nothing about this year has been easy,” she said, “but what I’d like to do is turn in the mail ballot plan. I’m not going to ask you to support my plan or even like it. But I am asking that you respect and let me move forward with it.”
“I have 22 years of experience and I don’t think I have ever led this county wrong… I’ve always tried to use the best knowledge and do what’s right. For me this is an administrative issue, not a political issue,” said Plettenberg. “I’m sorry. But I feel this is the way I have to go.”
Terry Nelson, Chairman of the Ravalli County Republican Central Committee, said that he was personally against mail elections due to chances of fraud and coercion and error. But he is also “adamant” for fair elections.
Nelson said that due to the circumstances there may be a lawsuit to stop it, but “if that doesn’t prevail then there must be a full mail-out ballot in Ravalli County to keep things fair.”
Nelson said in 2016, 48% of registered voters voted in Ravalli County and 44% in Missoula. In 2020, due to using mail-out ballots in the primary elections, 58% of registered voters turned out in Ravalli county and 53% in Missoula, a 20% increase.
“That means in vote by mail in the next election Missoula may have 14,000 more voters, in a county that votes 60% Democratic.” He said in Ravalli County where the vote is approximately 70% Republican, the increase will only be 5,000.
He said with Missoula going full mail-out and potentially increasing the votes in a Democratic dominated county, that it was necessary for Ravalli County to go mail-out only as well to keep things fair.
Commissioner Jeff Burrows said that no action by the commissioners is necessary for the Election Administrator’s plan to go forward and that he had a lot of trust in the Election Administrator and that he felt those who opposed the mail-out ballot trusted her as well and he was willing to let the plan move forward.
Commission Chair Chris Hoffman said that he echoed Burrows’ feelings and was willing to along with the plan due to the very unusual circumstances and the need for fair elections. He said the commissioners could hold a meeting to gather public comment on the plan. By law the County Commissioners have the authority to officially object to the plan submitted by the Election Administrator up to five days before the election.
Plettenberg said that due to the extreme challenge of putting this plan into action under the current circumstances that she would very much like some notification of their intention to object before the five-days-before-election-day deadline.