With the November election just weeks away, the Missoula County Elections Office has rejected an unusually high number of ballots due to their noncompliance with a new state law.

Elections Administrator Bradly Seaman on Tuesday said his office has rejected nearly 170 ballots thus far due to their lack of a signature or birth year – both of which are now required on the outside of the return envelope.

“It's significant. We've been referring to it as a ten-times increase,” Seaman said. “We'll contact voters and let them know they missed this. We've seen municipal races come down to a dead tie and we know every vote counts. We want to make sure voters are aware of it.”

The Legislature this year passed HB 719 , sponsored by Rep. Braxton Mitchell, a Flathead County Republican. The measure

See Full Page