Election night criteria released
I have outlined our election procedure on election night.
On election night after the polls close, observers, which at times include candidates, are welcome to watch the process from an area where they will not be able to obstruct the election process. Seated at desks, and not allowed to access or handle the ballots are: newspaper reporters, the official Associated Press reporter, and trained county personnel who enter totals on computers read to them from the M650 Tabulator (ballot counter). On occasion, a party chair will attend. The ballots are not counted, processed or accessible by anyone other than myself, my election staff, or our OFFICIAL boards of Election Judges.
According to MCA 13-4-107: Qualifications of election judges. (1) Election judges shall be registered electors of the county and of the precinct in which they serve, except as provided in 13-4-102(4).
(2) No election judge may be a candidate or a spouse, ascendant, descendant, brother, or sister of a candidate or a candidate’s spouse or the spouse of any of these in an election precinct where the candidate’s name appears on the ballot. However, this does not apply to candidates for precinct offices.
We do not discriminate against our Election Judges because they are affiliated with a party.
Our M650 Tabulator (ballot counter) goes through public testing before every election. In the 2010 General Election sheriff race, there was a six vote margin, the official recount (ballots were counted by hand) had the same tally as the M650 Tabulator. In the 2012 Primary election, we had a one vote margin for a political party central Committeeman race. The recount (ballots were counted by hand) had the same tally as the M650 Tabulator. I would say that is a testament to the accuracy of our elections.
I believe our elections are conducted with the highest regard for accuracy, honesty and fairness and resent any implications that I or anyone involved in the elections acted inappropriately in any way.