Five local residents have filed for Polson’s Local Government Review Commission, and one has filed for St. Ignatius. Ronan has no candidates, unless someone files as a write-in by Sept. 3.

If no additional candidates file for Polson’s commission, the following people will be elected by acclamation: Mark Hubbard, Peter Ridgeway, Phillip Thelen, Dave Rittenhouse and Larry Ashcraft.

Ralph Foster has filed to participate in the St. Ignatius Study Commission. If no one else signs up as a write-in candidate, the town council will need to appoint two additional members.

Ronan has no candidates for its five-member commission, which leaves the job of appointing members to the city council.

The Montana Constitution requires that voters be given the option of electing a local government review commission every 10 years. In Lake County, voters in all three municipalities approved the review, which appeared on the ballot in June. An option to review county government was rejected by voters.  

After the commissions are seated following the general election in November, members have a full year to evaluate their local government’s structure and propose recommendations for improvements to the voters by November 2026.

For more information on the process, visit www.montana.edu/extension/localgov/mtvoterreview/index.html.

Voting begins Oct. 7

Ballots for the general election will be mailed Oct. 11, with absentee ballots available Oct. 7 for in-person voting at the Lake County Election Office.

After regular voter registration closes Oct. 7, voters will need to appear in person to register or make changes to their voter registration.

Lake County Election Administrator Toni Kramer encourages people to check their voter status at the voter portal at the Secretary of State’s Office, prodvoterportal.mt.gov/WhereToVote.aspx.

“Here, voters can check their registration, view sample ballots when they are available, and check the status of their ballot,” she says.

The only change in polling locations for the Nov. 5 General Election is in Arlee, where the election will again be held in the remodeled Arlee Senior Center.

For more information, visit www.lakemt.gov/170/Elections.