The Cascade County elections office is working through this weekend to prepare for the Nov. 5 election.

Terry Thompson, county election administrator, said that she opened the drop box at the county annex on Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for voters to drop off the ballots that were mailed to them.

Montana does not have early voting that some other states do, but allows for voters to choose absentee and be mailed their ballots.

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Absentee voters were mailed their ballots in October and those could be returned by mail, as long as they are received in the election office by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5, or can be returned in person in the drop box or in the election office or dropped off on election day at Montana Expo Park.

The drop box will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 4 and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.

The drive up drop box will be open at Expo Park on election day 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As of 1 p.m. Nov. 1, Thompson said her office had issued 37,004 ballots so far. Of those, 24,484, or 66 percent, had been returned.

The number of voter registrations completed from Aug. 21 to Nov. 1 was 2,114, she said, and her office had lines of people wanting to register over the last two weeks.

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Voters must appear in person to update their registration for address and name changes or get a replacement ballot for spoiled and absentee ballots that didn’t arrive.

Thompson said the public should be prepared to wait and sand in a line, which stretched from the election office door to the 2nd Avenue North doors.Be prepared to wait/stand in line.

Thompson has asked the public to be patient, “we are doing the best we can.”

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Regular voter registration for the Nov. 5 election closed on Oct. 7. Late registration began Oct. 8 and must be done in person.

Late registration is available through noon Nov. 4 at the county election office and anyone missing that deadline must appear in person on election day at Exhibition Hall to register and vote.

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Thompson said a number of people mailed in registration forms after regular registration closed and have called asking about their ballot, not realizing they need to register in person to receive a ballot. She said earlier this month that her staff hadn’t had time to call everyone who mailed in their registration after the close of regular registration that they have to come to the office in person.

Ballots were mailed Oct. 11 and must be returned by 8 p.m. Nov. 5.

Thompson is following this schedule:

• Nov. 1: Exhibition Hall set up starts, election office remains open in the annex with limited staff
• Nov. 4: early counting of absentee ballots begins with election department staff and election judges; election office remains open in the annex with limited staff through 5 p.m.
• Nov. 5: Election Day, all election operations will be conducted at Exhibition Hall; the election office will be closed and no staff will be working on the annex;  a ballot drop box at the annex will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; polls close at 8 p.m.
• Nov. 6: Exhibition Hall tear down begins; election office will reopen at the annex at 8 a.m. with limited staff until Expo Park tear down is finished