On Friday, January 28, the Montana House defeated HB 130 by a vote of 42-57. This is the bill to provide for all-mail ballots. The outcome was a surprise, because the previous day, the same bill had passed a preliminary vote by a comfortable vote. See this story about the Thursday vote. There don’t seem to be any news stories yet about the Friday vote. Thanks to Mike Fellows for this news. UPDATE: the Montana mainstream press has finally reported this news. For example, see this story.
NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE TEA PARTY.
CONGRATULATIONS CONSERVATIVES for DEFEATING HB130!
I don’t think this was about the Tea party folks. Native Americans helped kill this bill, a long with a few other folks. This issue was something the Montana Republican Party supported in their platform.
Elections should be held at physical polling places on a single day following a lengthy campaign and debate period.
Mail-in ballots and the current abuse of absentee ballots allowing large percentages of voters to vote prior to the presentation of issues in the campaign process undermines the electoral process.
Mail-in or absentee ballots should be strictly limited and reserved for those who are truly unable to get to the polls due to physical ailments or being absent from the state.
How many miles does the *average* voter in MT have to travel to go and vote ???
20, 50, 100 plus miles ???
How many MT troopers are fighting the BARBARIANS in Asia – to have some sort of REAL Democracy in MT ???
What is the cost for snail mail in MT ???
ALL mail ballots.
P.R. and App.V. — pending Direct Democracy — to END the rule of the EVIL party hack robots in ALL regimes.
# 3 Oregon – ALL mail ballots.
Does OR have party hack robots who are more or less corrupt than in the polling place States ???
Any less flu in Oregon due to NOT having voters assemble in hot polling places ???
How many tons of gasoline are burned on Election Days — adding to air pollution on Mother Earth ???
— especially in the low-low-low people density States like MT ???