Cascade County Commissioners to Vote on Resolution Removing Election Oversight Duties from Clerk and Recorder

The Cascade County commission in Montana is set to vote on a resolution that would strip election oversight duties from Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant, who previously expressed doubts about the integrity of the election process. The resolution, proposed by Commissioner Joe Briggs, comes amid complaints about recent local elections and lawsuits that have been filed.

The meeting to discuss the resolution was moved to the fairgrounds in Great Falls to accommodate the expected high level of public participation. If the resolution passes, it will take effect immediately. Commissioner Briggs justified the proposal by highlighting the numerous complaints the county has received about the way local elections have been conducted since Merchant took office. He cited instances of people not receiving ballots they were supposed to and others receiving ballots they should not have received.

"There seems to be some systemic problems," Briggs stated. He emphasized the need to address these issues before the upcoming general election, which includes crucial races, such as the reelection campaign of Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester. Two U.S. House races and major statewide elected races, including the gubernatorial race, will also be on the ballot.

The resolution suggests transferring election oversight from the clerk and recorder's office to the county commission, which would then appoint an election administrator. This change is permitted under state law, and a few of Montana's counties have already made similar transitions.

The controversy surrounding Merchant's election oversight duties began during her 2022 campaign for clerk and recorder. Some Republicans requested that the county commission ask Democratic clerk Rina Fontana Moore to recuse herself from administering the election since she was on the ballot. However, Moore declined to step down temporarily, leading Briggs to propose removing election duties from the clerk and recorder's office. His motion, however, did not receive support from the other two commission members.

Merchant narrowly defeated Moore by fewer than 40 votes, following the passage of election security laws by the Republican-controlled state Legislature. These laws aimed to address alleged widespread voter fraud but were subsequently struck down by the courts due to a lack of evidence. Briggs previously attempted to transfer election duties to a non-elected administrator, but his motion was not seconded by any other commission member.

According to Briggs, the situation changed after Merchant took office, as concerns about the election process broadened. Merchant claimed that experienced employees in the elections department left without providing her with sufficient training. She argued that Briggs' motion was disenfranchising voters who chose her to oversee elections.

Merchant campaigned on election integrity, advocating for measures such as opening up ballot tabulators to ensure they could not be connected to the internet and promoting hand counting of ballots. However, since taking office, she has not pursued these initiatives. Briggs included in his resolution that the county had spent $200,000 on ballot tabulators, which some members of the public claimed were susceptible to manipulation by foreign governments or other malicious actors. Briggs argued against opening the tabulators for public inspection, as doing so would void warranties and render the machines useless.

Merchant accused Briggs of playing politics with her job and criticized him for not supporting her despite being in the same party. Briggs defended his motion, stating that the focus should be on what is right, regardless of party affiliation. He claimed that Republicans had sought the change in 2022 when a Democrat held the position, whereas now, they opposed it.

The fate of the resolution will be decided at the county commission meeting, where public opinion is expected to play a significant role in shaping the outcome.