Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
Today is the last day for Montana voters to register to vote in the Nov. 4 general election, although late registration for voting which must be returned to the local Clerk and Recorder’s Office begins Tuesday. With high-profile elections on the national, state and local levels, a high focus has been placed on voter regist rat ion thi s year by both the Republican and Democratic parties. The highest-profile election is probably the presidential race, where Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., faces Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., but Montana also has contested elections for the state U.S. Representative seat and one Senate seat, and the state offices of Governor, Secretary of State, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Montana State Auditor and state Attorney General. Several local legislative elections also are contested, and a number of constitutional amendments, referendums and initiatives will also be on the Nov. 4 ballot. Watch for candidate profiles of local candidates in editions of the Havre Daily News later this week. The state deadline for filing to vote at the polling places Nov. 4 is 5 p.m. today at the county Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Starting Tuesday, voters can register late for voting with one restriction the voting must be done in the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. For registered voters, another option is voting absentee. The voter can take a ballot or have it mailed to a home address, complete the ballot and mail or return it by hand to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Registered voters can vote in their assigned polling place during the Nov. 4 election. In local races, what had appeared to be a guaranteed win for a state Senate seat is once again contested. Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Rocky Boy, won the primary election for State Senate District 16 against incumbent Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar. There was no Republican candidate for the seat. After Windy Boy won the election, appearing to have won the seat, Smith filed as an independent to face Windy Boy as a write-in candidate in the general election. In House District 34, an open election where incumbent Rep. John Musgrove, D-Havre, cannot run for reelection due to term limits, Democrat Perry Miller of Havre faces Republican Wendy Warburton, also of Havre, in the general election. In the race for House District 33, challenger Kyle Austin of Havre, a Republican, faces incumbent Democrat Bob Bergren, also of Havre. On the state level, incumbent Democrat Gov. Brian Schweitzer and his running mate John Bohlinger face Republicans Roy Brown and Steve Daines and Libertarians Stan Jones and Michael Baker in the general election for the state’s top office. Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Brad Johnson faces current Democratic State Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch and Constitution Party candidate Sieglinde Sharbono in the race for Secretary of State. McCulloch cannot run for re-election as State Superintendent due to term limits. In the race for State Superintendent, Democrat Denise Juneau, Republican Elaine Sollie Herman and Libertarian Donald J. Eisenmenger face off in the general election. Republican Duane Grimes and Democrat Monica J. Lindeen are the candidates in the race for the State Auditor position. Incumbent Democrat John Morrison cannot run for re-election due to term limits. In the race for Attorney General, Republican Tim Fox faces Democrat Steve Bullock. Incumbent Attorney General Mike McGrath, who cannot run for re-election to that office due to term limits, faces Ron Waterman in a race for the state Supreme Court Chief Justice.
