City elections underway today
The residents of Flathead County’s three incorporated cities head to the polls today to participate in municipal elections.
Polls open at 7 a.m. today and close at 8 p.m.
Kalispell residents will cast their votes at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Trade Center. In Columbia Falls, the polling place is City Hall, 130 Sixth Street W.
Whitefish conducted a mail-ballot election, but will have a drop-box for ballots at City Hall. Election judges will be on-site to monitor the drop-box. Voters are asked to use the Baker Avenue entrance near the parking structure.
Absentee ballots can be dropped off at the Flathead County Election Department in the South Campus Building, 40 11th St. W. in Kalispell, by 8 p.m. The deadline for late voter registration was noon on Monday.
Kalispell will elect one City Council member in each of its four wards. Incumbent Sandy Carlson is running unopposed for a second four-year term in Ward 1. Ward 2 incumbent Chad Graham also is unopposed in his bid for a second term.
The big contests in Kalispell are in Ward 3, where incumbent Jim Atkinson squares off against Karlene Osorio-Khor and Kyle Waterman; and in Ward 4, where incumbent Tim Kluesner faces Sid Daoud.
Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson and Municipal Judge Lori Adams are both unopposed.
Whitefish has a contested race for municipal judge, with William Hileman Jr. and Kristi L. Curtis vying for the judge position being vacated by Bradley Johnson, who is retiring.
There’s no opposition in the Whitefish City Council races. Incumbent council member Andy Feury is seeking another term, with newcomers Ryan Hennen and Melissa Hartman poised to grab the other two open positions.
Columbia Falls incumbent Mayor Donald Barnhart faces opposition from John Rallis. There are four hopefuls for three City Council openings. Incumbent Michael Shepard is vying for what would be his sixth term if elected. Also in the running are incumbent Jenny Lovering, who is seeking a second term, and newcomers Paula Robinson and Stephen Duffy.