Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
Montana’s Democratic Sen. Jon Tester capped off in Havre an all-day drive literally urging people to get out and vote early. “A lot of people have fought and died for the right to vote in this country and we need people to take advantage of that,” Tester told a group of about 25 people who gathered in the parking lot of the Atrium Shopping Mall, where the bus tour stopped. Many of the group then walked over to the Hill County Courthouse to vote. The Montana presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., started a tour of the state last week in a truck decorated with “Early Vote” signs and sideboards driving from town to town to urge voters to take advantage of the early voting opportunity. In Montana, registered voters can request absentee ballots to be mailed to them. The ballots must be returned to the local clerk and recorders office in each county. The ballots can be returned at any time after the voters receive them, before the Nov. 4 election. Voter registration ended Oct. 6, but starting Oct. 7 voters also can register late, with the requirement that they immediately vote in the clerk and recorder’s office. Havre Democrat Frank Hayes, who attended the rally Wednesday in Havre, said he voted early as soon as the option was available he was waiting when the Hill County Courthouse opened at 8 am. That morning, he said. “But I’m going to march with them to the courthouse anyway,” he added. Several candidates joined Tester, who is not up for re-election this year, at the rally. Steve Bullock, Democratic candidate for attorney general, was at the rally, two days after his Republican opponent, Tim Fox also made a stop in Havre. Denise Juneau, Democratic candidate for state superintendent of Public Instruction, was not at the rally but planned to join the group of Democrats later in Havre to watch the presidential debate Wednesday night. Bullock said he and Juneau had been traveling the state together campaigning this week. Also joining the crowd was state Rep. Bob Bergren, D-Havre, who faces Republican Kyle Austin of Havre in the general election for House District 33, and Perry Miller of Havre, who faces Republican Wendy Warburton of Havre in the race for House District 34. Rep. John Musgrove, D-Havre, and his wife, Sue, were also at the rally. Musgrove cannot run for re-election due to term limits. The stop in Havre, one of 40 stops the Obama “Early Vote” truck will make in its two-week tour, typifies a presidential focus on Montana unprecedented in recent history. Both the campaigns of Obama and his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, have been pushing for voter registration in Montana. Both campaigns also have organized calling campaigns and canvassing and local groups to watch the parties’ national conventions and the recent presidential and vice presidential debates. But the focus started in Montana long before the campaign for the general election. On April 1, President Bill Clinton came to Montana, starting in Havre, to campaign for his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton. Clinton later lost the primary to Obama, including losing in Montana. Before the primary, both primary candidates made several stops to campaign in Montana. Obama has also returned after the primary, with a total of five visits to the state by the Democratic candidate, and one stop in Montana by his vice presidential candidate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. Obama’s grassroots campaign has also opened election offices around the state, including an office in Havre. The McCain campaign has organized its efforts in conjunction with offices of the state Republican Party, but has opened no official offices of its own. McCain has not stopped in Montana during this presidential election. Tester said in an interview that his six-stop “Early Vote” tour that brought him to Havre Wednesday started in Malta and went up and down the region. He said that, after spending one night in his own bed at his farm west of Big Sandy, he would be back on the road today, including early-vote rally stops in Shelby, Cut Bank and Browning. Tester told the group Wednesday that it is important to have as many people as possible vote early. “We don’t know where we’re going to be on election day,” he said. “This is a whole lot easier. “Not that I’m biased,” Tester added, reaching over from the bed of the pickup to pat an Obama sign, “but pick your people.” He said the early voting also allows people more time to think about the issues on the ballot, including the constitutional amendment, legislative referendum and the initiative in this year’s election. “The best part is,” Tester said, “when you turn in those ballots you can go home and you don’t have to watch those commercials any more.”
