Yellowstone County Voters: Miss This One Step and Your Ballot Won’t Count

If you live in Yellowstone County, your upcoming election is mail in ballot only and if your ballot hasn't landed in your mailbox, it will in the coming days.

With the upcoming mail in election being mail in ballot only, it means that no polling places will be open on Election Day, your ballot is your ticket, and how you handle it matters just as much as how you vote. This year comes with a very important change, and if you miss doing it, your ballot will be rejected before it even makes it to the counting table.

New Ballot Rule Requires Your Birth Year to Match County Records

This is the big, new change: you now have to write your birth year on the back of your return envelope when you sign it. If the year you write doesn’t match what the county has on file, your ballot won’t be accepted.

Not “may not.” Won’t.

So before you seal it up, triple check that signature section, write your correct birth year, and don’t fill it out for anyone else, not even your spouse. Every voter must sign and date their own envelope.

Don’t Seal Your Envelope Too Soon

Speaking of sealing things, I'm learning from my mistake. In my eagerness to do things correctly, I filled out my ballot and immediately sealed it inside the big return envelope… only to realize afterward that it was supposed to go into a smaller “secrecy envelope” first, then into the big one. And once it’s sealed… it’s sealed. So now I get to be that person who walks into the Election Office and asks for a replacement ballot. Frustrating? A little. Avoidable? Absolutely.

Moral of the story: Lay out all the envelopes first and then remember that the ballot goes into secrecy envelope which then goes into return envelope and then sign and add your birth year to the return envelope. No sealing until you’re 100% sure.

READ MORE: Why You Should Visit the Montana State Capitol

Make Sure Your Ballot Arrives Before the Deadline

Once your ballot is filled out correctly, don’t let it sit on the counter too long. All ballots must be received, not just postmarked, by the Yellowstone County Elections Office at 217 North 27th Street no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 4th. You can mail it (and yes, you do need to put a stamp on the envelope), or drop it off in person. The Elections Office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will extend hours to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day for last-minute returns. However you deliver it, just make sure it gets there on time.

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A Little Extra Effort Now Saves Your Vote Later

Mail in ballots can feel like a paperwork puzzle, especially with multiple envelopes, signature rules, and new requirements. But it’s still one of the most powerful things we get to do as citizens. So take a minute, read the directions slowly, maybe even call a friend or have your spouse sanity check the steps, and make sure your vote gets counted. Because if you're going to take the time to vote (and you should!), make sure it actually counts.