Broadwater County Clerk reports ballots sent, turnout numbers and municipal candidate filing deadlines

Broadwater County Clerk and Recorder Andy Paulson told the commission on April 23 that the county mailed 5,124 ballots on April 17: 3,966 ballots for the Townsend School District and 1,158 ballots for the portion of Broadwater in the Three Forks area. As of the day before the meeting, election staff reported receiving 230 returned ballots.

Paulson reminded voters that ballots must be returned to the county office no later than 8 p.m. on election day, Tuesday, May 6. He said mail returns can lag and asked residents who have not received ballots by Friday to visit the clerk’s office in person so staff can cancel the original ballot and issue a replacement; replacement ballots must be issued in person.

The clerk explained that a write-in line appears on the school trustee portion of the ballot by statute, but that write-ins count only if the candidate meets Montana Code Annotated requirements and is an official write-in candidate. Paulson said there are no write-in candidates in this election; write-in names on the blank line will not be counted.

Paulson clarified which voters see which contests: the sheriff mill levy appears on the countywide ballot (all 5,124 ballots), while the Townsend School District trustee contest appears only on the 3,966 Townsend school ballots. The portion of Broadwater in the Three Forks area receives a ballot administered by Gallatin County for its school contests; that subset (1,158 ballots) received only the countywide sheriff mill levy in the Broadwater mailings Paulson described.

Paulson encouraged voters who make a mistake on a mailed ballot to come to the clerk’s office to get a new ballot issued; he said voters sometimes intentionally or accidentally overvote or undervote specific races, and having a clear, single choice is important for the county’s ballot-transcription procedures.

He also gave municipal-election details: candidate filing for the Townsend municipal election closes June 16. Four council seats are open in the municipal election: one 3-year term in Ward 1, two 3-year terms in Ward 2, and one 3-year term in Ward 3. The mayor’s position was not on this cycle’s ballot. Paulson noted a sheriff mill-levy educational meeting scheduled the evening of April 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Townsend School community room.

Speakers (relevant to this article) - Andy Paulson — Broadwater County Clerk and Recorder (government)

Clarifying details - Ballots mailed April 17: 3,966 (Townsend School District ballots) and 1,158 (Three Forks area), total 5,124 (Andy Paulson). - Ballot returns as of the day before meeting: 230 (Andy Paulson). - Ballots due: May 6 at 8:00 p.m. (Andy Paulson). - Candidate filing deadline (municipal): June 16. Four council positions open (Wards 1, 2 and 3) (Andy Paulson). - Sheriff mill-levy educational meeting: April 23, 6:30 p.m., Townsend School community room (Andy Paulson).

Why it matters: The update provides vote-by-mail timelines, turnout to date and filing deadlines that affect voters, candidates and local election administration. The clerk emphasized in-person replacement ballots and late voter registration procedures for those updating registration during the late-registration period.

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Searchable tags ["elections","ballots","townsend","broadwater-county","candidate-filing"]