Indian legislator asks voters to make the Montana Indian vote count

The Primary Election is only 48 days away (June 3).

"We must take the time and be a part of the election process if we are to have a voice. Help your friends and relatives to get registered and vote," says Sen. Carol Juneau, a Mandan-Hidatsa native and Senate District 8 representative.

To vote you can wait until Election Day and go to your voting precinct, or you can receive a ballot in the mail. An absentee ballot request can be sent in right now and ballots will be mailed to you starting 30 days before election.

Below is the Voter Registration Card that you can cut out and complete. Fill this out and send it to the clerk and recorder in your county at the addresses listed below.

Register to vote by filling out a voter registration card and mailing to the County Clerk and Recorder's Office by May 5.

If you miss the May 5 date, you can present yourself at the local election office, usually in the county courthouse, where you can apply for a ballot and vote all at the same time at least 30 days before the election - right up through Election Day.

Numerous myths exist today as to why persons 18 years and older fail to register. The most common is that once registered, your name comes up for jury duty. Not true. Names for jury duty are sampled from all Montana licensed drivers - not voters.

The second misconception is that convicted felons are not entitled to vote. Not true. Felony offenders are entitled to vote like any one else.

The third myth is that, "My vote won't make a difference." Not true. During the last national election, women and minorities made a difference in some highly contended races, including Montana's gubernatorial and the U.S. senate races.