Montana election office pushes for mail ballots

HELENA — Montana's Democratic secretary of state said Wednesday she's working with a Republican lawmaker to switch the state over to mail ballots for all elections.

Secretary of State Linda McCulloch said counties that run polling places and elections could save more than $2 million each election cycle under a plan that she expects would dramatically increase voter turnout.

Many voters currently mail ballots in through the absentee ballot process. But election officials must still staff and open polling places for others.

Past efforts at mail ballots have failed, sometimes with Republican...