It’s Friday and time for Caught My Eye at The Western Word! Here are the topics for today’s independent commentary: 

• Mail Ballots
• Downing & HUD Funding
• Montana Ballots
• 60 Day Countdown
• Labor Day Picnic 2026
• One More Thing

MAIL BALLOTS:

The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject an order by a federal judge that halts it from implementing a new rule regulating mail ballots, hours after being unable to tell that judge whether the computer system that would govern the entire project was operational yet. 

What a mess. 

The AP also reported that under Trump’s executive order, the U.S. Postal Service could refuse to deliver ballots from states that do not follow a uniform envelope style and submit lists of eligible voters to an online portal that was apparently still inactive Thursday. 

Trump and the MAGA movement are attempting to engineer a favorable electorate by systematically disenfranchising opposition voters and sowing institutional chaos. This aggressive strategy stems from a clear realization: their core political message is currently being drowned out by immediate voter anxieties over rising food and gas prices, as well as the ongoing conflict with Iran. 

DOWNING & HUD FUNDING:

The Montana Free Press (MTFP) reports that U.S. Representative Troy Downing (R-MT-2) introduced a bill that would deny federal housing funding to communities that don’t share information about immigrants with federal officers or that don’t detain people arrested by immigration agents. 

The bill is titled “No HUD Funding for Sanctuary Cities Act.” 

In a press release, Downing provided the following comments about the bill:

“If a sanctuary city is not complying with federal law, we should not allocate American taxpayers’ hard-earned money to those areas,” said Congressman Downing. “The American taxpayer should not be responsible for funding cities that choose to disregard federal immigration policy while law-abiding citizens are left to bear the cost.” 

I think this bill is just political theater. It cannot pass so late in the session. House members, particularly the MAGA faction, are pivoting to campaign trail survival. 

According to the revised schedule announced by Speaker Mike Johnson, House leadership scrapped the final two weeks of the previously planned September session. Following the Labor Day break, the House will return for only a single week of votes starting Monday, September 14. Lawmakers will then leave Washington to campaign for the November midterm elections and are not expected to return until after Election Day. (Source)

MONTANA BALLOTS:

According to the Montana Secretary of State, absentee ballots for federal/state elections are mailed to eligible voters 25 days before Election Day.  That means October 9 is the date by which ballots are mailed to electors on the absentee list. (Source)

These dates could all change if Trump and the MAGAs continue their battle against voting by mail. 

60 DAY COUNTDOWN:

Labor Day marks the real start of the campaign countdown. There are only about 60 days left to get the message out, and the clock ticks even faster with absentee ballots being mailed on October 9. 

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Let’s keep the conversation going—follow me on X @TheWesternWord and find me on Facebook HERE. 

LABOR DAY PICNIC 2026:

REMINDER: The Central Montana Labor Council will be hosting its annual Labor Day picnic on Monday, September 7th, from noon until 3 PM at the Montana ExpoPark in Great Falls. (Source)

There will be free food, live music, yard games, and more. Join them as they celebrate the achievements of labor in America.

ONE MORE THING:

What do you call the soft tissue between a shark’s teeth? The Slowest Swimmer. 

## HAPPY LABOR DAY ##