Ballots for the 2021 municipal elections were mailed this week. Voters in Hot Springs and Plains will decide on representatives for their communities.

In Hot Springs, voters will vote for mayor and council members for the town. Randy Woods is running unopposed to retain his seat as mayor. Four candidates are on the ballot for the two four-year council terms. Those candidates include Cayla Aldridge, James Arestad, Tracy Dyson and Leslee Smith.

In Plains, two candidates have filed for mayor, incumbent Danny Rowan and Michael Brinson. For the council positions, Joel Banham and George Stone filed for Ward 1, seat 2, and Connie Foust filed for another two-year term in Ward 1, Seat 1. No one filed to run against Foust. In Ward 2, Audrey Kolbeck and John Sheridan are running unopposed for the two open positions, and in Ward 3, Christopher Allen is the only candidate running for the open four-year term.

The election is by mail ballot and no polls will be open on election day, November 2. Ballots can be returned by mail or dropped in the ballot box at the Sanders County Clerk and Recorder’s office in the courthouse in Thompson Falls. If ballots are mailed, the post office recommends doing so at least seven days prior to Election Day to ensure it arrives. According to Sanders County Elections staff, ballots must be received by the office by 8 p.m. on November 2, with the election staff picking up the final ballots from the post office at 5 p.m.

“Since this is a mail ballot election, no one will need to sign up to get a ballot mailed to them,” said Bobbi Christenson, Election Deputy for the county. “Ballots will go out automatically to all active, eligible voters that live in the city limits of Plains and Hot Springs.” She noted that if a voter is currently inactive, they will have to call the office or send in a voter registration form to update information and have a ballot issued to them. Christenson added that if voters are unsure of their status, be sure to call the office.

One change for voters this year is that there will be no changes for registration after noon November 1, the day before the election. If a voter needs to change their address to an address inside the city limits or if they are a new registrant, those changes must be completed by noon on November 1.. There is no longer late registration after noon on November 1, or on Election Day. Christenson again stressed the importance of verifying information with the county elections office. Contact information can also be updated online at the secretary of state’s MyVoter page at https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo. The county elections staff can be reached at (406) 827-6949.