Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached Resolution requesting a mail ballot election for the 2025 municipal elections and the City's commitment to fund the return postage costs. 

Municipal elections are held every two years on odd-numbered years, therefore, 2025 is a municipal election year. The Primary election date for this election cycle is September 9, 2025, and the General election date is November 6, 2025. 

Pursuant to Montana Code Annotated (MCA) Section 13-19-104, a municipality may conduct a mail ballot election in coordination with the County Election Administrator. Pursuant to Section 13-19-202, MCA, a municipality may request the County Election Administrator to plan and conduct a mail ballot election through a Resolution approved by the governing body. This request must be made no later than 70 days before the election. Section 13-19-202(2), MCA. The final decision on conducting a mail ballot election is within the sole discretion of the County Election Administrator under Section13-19-202(3), MCA. However, according to our County Election Administrator, K. V. "Ginger" Aldrich, local mail ballot elections historically improved voter participation and have been less costly to conduct than traditional polling place elections.

The Resolution attached to this memo requests the County Election Administrator to study and respond back to the Mayor and City Council concerning whether the mail ballot election is economically and administratively feasible as provided in Section13-19-202(2), MCA.  The Election Administrator is required by Section 13-19-202(4), MCA, to respond back to the governing body with this information within five (5) days after receiving the Resolution. If the Election Administrator approves of a mail ballot, the Election Administrator shall prepare a written plan for conducting the mail ballot as required by Section 13-16-205, MCA.

City Council may:

• Approve the attached Resolution requesting the County Election Administrator to consider a mail ballot election; or,
• Disapprove the Resolution requesting a mail ballot election and the City will be responsible the expenses of a polling place election. 

As reported by Yellowstone County Election Administrator, K. V. "Ginger" Aldrich, mail ballot elections result in greater voter participation than traditional polling place elections and are less costly for the municipality to conduct. Ms. Aldrich estimated that using the current number of registered voters as a reference, the cost of the 2025 mail ballot election will be approximately $100,000 for a Primary election, if needed, compared to the costs of a Primary election. For the General election, the costs would be the same. The FY2026 budget will need to be increased from $175,000 to $200,000 to cover the cost of both elections. If there is no Primary election, the budget will be adequate.