Misinformation from county and state election departments continue to plague the absentee voting process in Lincoln County.

Absentee voters in Lincoln County who received a ballot and envelope to return it in also received a note that instructed them to sign their ballot. Not only is the direction incorrect, but it raises the issues of revealing a voter’s identity and whether the ballot would be accepted.

Election Administrator Melanie Howell spoke to The Western News on Monday to address some misinformation and how the mistake occurred.

"The note that instructed voters to sign their ballot came from the Montana Secretary of State's Office. When I looked at it, I didn't think anything of it and we printed them and put them in the envelopes," Howell said.

Reached for comment, the Montana Secretary of State's Office did not acknowledge a mistake and instead offered information for absentee voting.

Howell also addressed ways to correct the situation.

"Ballots signed by voters would invalidate it, but the resolution board can validate the ballot, which would be duplicated on a new, unsigned ballot," she said.

Howell said voters who mistakenly signed their ballots will need to come to the Election Department office in Libby to get a new ballot. The office is located in the basement of the county Annex Building at 418 Mineral Ave.

Howell said she has shared on the county Election Department's Facebook page how voters should sign and list their birthdate on the affirmation envelope. Those posts appeared between May 12 and May 15.

Due to new laws approved by the state Legislature and Gov. Greg Gianforte, voters are required to sign and provide their birthdate on the return envelope for their ballot.

Proponents of the new measures argued it was necessary for election integrity and to prevent voter fraud.