General elections by all-mail ballot are under way in Yellowstone County. Voters in Billings, Laurel and Broadview will mark their choices for city offices on ballots mailed to them last week. Statewide, all-mail ballots are under way in at least 47 counties, according to the Secretary of State Office.

It is important that all eligible voters understand both the changes and the convenience of mail ballots.

• If you mail your ballot, be sure to put a regular letter stamp on it and mail it in time to arrive at the elections office by Nov. 3.

• Polls won't be open on Nov. 3. Instead, the Yellowstone County Elections Department will staff four drop-off sites where voters can turn in their ballots (Bench Elementary, Riverside Middle School, Faith Evangelical Church and Laurel High School). The elections office on the first floor of the county courthouse also will be open from 7 a.m. till 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to receive voted ballots.

• Eligible citizens who didn't get a mailed ballot may still register and vote at the courthouse elections office 8-5 any weekday up to and including Nov. 3.

Billings voters will see three offices on their ballots. First, there is the mayor's race between Tom Hanel and Dick Clark. Then there is one City Council seat to fill in each of five wards. Four wards have contested races, but newcomer Richard McFadden is running unopposed in Ward 3. The third office on the ballot has just one candidate: Municipal Court Judge Mary Jane Kniseley running for re-election unopposed.

The Billings Gazette editorial board this fall continued our longstanding practice of interviewing city candidates in contested general election races, reviewing their records and recommending the candidates we believe would do the best job for the people of Billings.

• For mayor, we recommend Tom Hanel, an energetic, articulate, 30-year Billings resident and local businessman who is a retired Billings police lieutenant.

• For Ward 1 we recommend re-election of Jim Ronquillo, a staunch neighborhood advocate and volunteer.

• For Ward 2, we recommend Angela Cimmino for her many years of service on city boards and for her in-depth knowledge of planning and zoning.

• In Ward 4, we recommend re-election of Ed Ulledalen, another longtime Billings resident and civic volunteer whose financial sector expertise is needed on the council.

• In Ward 5, we recommend Mark Astle, also a longtime resident and community volunteer, who has proven to be a reasonable voice on the council since his appointment nearly two years ago.

As always, our strongest recommendation is to vote. Don't sit this one out. In the first week after 57,000 ballots were mailed out in Yellowstone County, 13,739 voted ballots were received back at the elections office, according to Duane Winslow, county elections administrator. The Nov. 3 turnout is already 24 percent 21/2 weeks before the election! Make sure your vote gets counted.