Low Primary Turnout in Missoula? What's Up with That?

by: Matt Singer

Fri Jul 23, 2010 at 10:13:04 AM MST

There's some weird stuff in here, like this:

Obviously, the timing of the primary is not ideal for University of Montana students, many of whom leave for the summer break by June. Only six votes were cast during the primary at the University Center polling place. Yet, Zeier said that while the student absence affects voter turnout, it's not significant.

There's another strain here, which I think is largely driven by this figure: Of approximately 16,000 ballots cast, just shy of 14,000 were mail ballots. There's some evidence in other states that the move to vote-by-mail dampens enthusiasm and resulting turnout spikes on Election Day itself. That isn't deeply problematic (although it is worth monitoring). But there is a different problem in Montana, which is that our vote-by-mail system currently doesn't work:

Some voters wondered why ballots were not mailed to their homes, especially if they filled out information to make them a permanent absentee voter.

The previous two elections - the 2009 city election and the May 2010 school election - were both mail-ballot elections, so some people expected to receive a ballot in the mail.

But even the people who opt for permanent absentee ballots must annually fill out a green address-verification form that the elections office mails out every January, and return it to the county in order to continue to receive absentee ballots.