Gianforte, the only Republican to lose a statewide election last fall, is one of several GOP hopefuls vying for the party’s nomination for U.S. House.

“I’m not trying to take away the ability to vote by mail,” Essmann said. “Everybody should have the ability to do that. I do that myself. The issue is whether the ability to vote at the polls should be taken away from the people who want to vote at the polls. I don’t think it should.”

Essmann said that early voting by mail benefits Democrats and that voters uninclined to vote sometimes do when pressured by Democrats who go door to door collecting ballots to turn in. Republicans have for years accused Democrats of only turning in ballots after confirming by interview that voters chose Democratic candidates, which is something Democrats deny.

County election officials from across the state testified in Helena this week about the financial benefits of mail ballots. The special election is expected to cost upwards of $3 million. The price would decrease if counties didn’t have to open and staff physical polling places.