Tuesday night deadline for ballots

The mayoral and city councilperson election will close Tuesday, which is also the last day to get ballots in.

Voters have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to hand their ballots into the County Clerk and Recorder’s Office at the Hill County Courthouse.

As of 9 a.m. Monday, there were 2,249 ballots turned in. This is around 50.43 percent of the 4,450 total ballots sent out by mail.

In the 2009 mayoral and City Council race, when the voting was done, 67 percent of the ballots sent out were returned filled out.

Susan Armstrong, the deputy election administrator of the Hill County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, said that her office has replaced about 12 ballots for people who misplaced or somehow did not receive their ballots.

Anyone who does not have a ballot but is registered to vote in Hill County can go down to the office to receive a replacement ballot.

Armstrong said there is no way to guarantee that those who choose to send their ballots via mail today will be counted Tuesday when the polls close at 8 p.m. She said the safest way to get the ballots in at this point is to hand-deliver them.

Most Hill County races are uncontested. The hottest race is for mayor of Havre, where Mayor Tim Solomon, a Democrat, is opposed by Republican former Mayor Bob Rice.

Republican Matthew Boucher opposes Democrat Karen Datko for Ward 4 council member. The winner replaces Allen “Woody” Woodwick. Reapportionment forced Woodwick into the neighboring third ward, where he is unopposed for a two-year term.