Voters relieved as political ads soon to end

Voters braved the wind and the cold to register and vote at the MetraPark polling location in Billings Tuesday. They represented a variety of political views, but many could agree on one topic: they were ready for the end of mailers, TV ads and other political advertisements.

"Annoy me? Yes, yes they did."

Tyson Hoffert of Billings, who works in construction, identified himself as a Republican and said he did his own research.

"I don't listen to 'em," he said. "They go in one ear and out the other."

Like Hoffert, registered nurse Heath Hall of Shawmut, Wheatland County, said political ads didn't really make a dent. He said he votes based on the candidate instead of the party.

"I don't really listen to much media or look at many ads. I do my own research. I don't let catchy slogans sway my opinion on that," he said.

Campground manager Anthony Williams just moved to Billings and said he doesn't align himself with a party. He described ads he saw as "interesting."

"I mean, anytime I heard an attack ad, it kind of made me question the side that was having to resort to those kinds of ads, but I heard a lot of them on both sides," said Williams.

Others did not mind the ads, like Billings local Maria Roberts, a recent college graduate who said she's moderate and leans Democratic.

"I wouldn't say they affected how I voted on the bigger scale tickets, like presidential or senate, but I think they were valuable for information on county elections and stuff like that," she said.

Unofficial results for Yellowstone County show residents voting red across the board.