BOZEMAN — With the November 4th election fast approaching, and for this election, voters have to add their birth year along with their signature on mail-in and absentee ballots.
Evaline Damiano, a volunteer helping the Gallatin County Elections Department, said she's making sure the birth year section is filled out before ballots are dropped off.
"That’s what we’re checking for," she said. "To make sure that happens before it’s put in the ballot box."
New birth year rule increases ballot rejections in Gallatin County
She said if the birth year is not indicated their ballot is rejected and could require additional steps to validate.
This new addition is part of Montana's House Bill 719, which was passed in the last legislative session. The bill requires that voters provide both their signature and birth year on their ballots.
Eric Semerad, Gallatin County’s Clerk and Recorder and Election Administrator, said he's seen an increase in rejected ballots.
As of now, Semerad shared that 20 percent of ballots have been returned, but just over four percent have been rejected,
“It’s something voters have never had to do before, so they’re not looking for it,” Semerad said.
He added that some people are forgetting to add their birth year, and some are intentionally not including it on their ballot.
“Some people are a little offended that 'why do I have to prove again who I am, and that I’m giving you the correct information',” explained Damiano. "But those have been very few."
So what happens if your ballot gets rejected because you forgot to include your birth year?
Semerad said that there’s a way to fix it. "There are ways to resolve it using a form. We can accept that form via email, so it’s a fairly simple process."
Semerad said it's important to get in the habit now of including your birth year ahead of the federal elections next year.
