Ballots begin being opened Friday

The Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder’s office has received 5,877 ballots as of Oct. 28, with 2,826 still needing to be turned in — a 67.5% return with five days remaining before Election Day, according to data compiled on the Montana Secretary of State website. 

In all, 8,703 ballots were sent out in Jefferson County, which has opted for a mail ballot election. 

The Clerk and Recorder’s office will begin opening the secrecy envelopes on Friday and ballots will be stored in a locked room. On Nov. 3, the ballots will be fed into a tabulating machine, and after 8 p.m., the Election Administrator can begin announcing results.