Missoula's two candidates for mayor have just eight days remaining to get their final message out to voters, and each campaign has disparate sums of cash in the bank to do so.

As of Oct. 21, Mayor John Engen's campaign reported having nearly $12,000 while challenger Lisa Triepke reported a balance of $196.

But that balance was up from a deficit of $13,021 reported by Triepke on Sept. 15. Since then, her campaign has reported raising $19,152 and has spent $6,598.

Comparing the two candidates' campaign finance statements over the same period of time, running from Sep. 29 to Oct. 21, the Triepke campaign reported raising $9,082 and has spent $1,326.

By contrast, Engen reported raising $17,357 over that time and spending $25,892, leaving him with an ending balance of nearly $12,000. He began that period with $20,515 in the bank while Triepke began that period with a deficit of $7,559.

Engen has reportedly raised $103,978 for his reelection bid, making this year's race for mayor the most expensive in city history.

The Missoula County Elections Office will hold a public tour of the elections center on Thursday at 10 a.m. Elections supervisor Bradley Seaman said county staff will go over their preparations for ballot dropoff, same day registration protocols, and ballot processing procedures.

The tour is free and open to the public.

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