Montana

Montana working group seeks to answer questions on election processes

Published

2 years ago

October 27, 2022

Montana working group seeks to answer questions on election processes

HELENA — Earlier this yr, lawmakers and election officers put collectively a working group to handle questions on Montana’s election system. With Election Day weeks away, the group says it needs to guarantee voters that the state’s elections are in fine condition.

“Montana’s election system is each sound and safe, and we should stay vigilant to maintain it that means,” mentioned Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton.

Bedey was certainly one of a number of members of the working group who spoke to lawmakers Wednesday throughout a gathering of the State Administration and Veterans’ Affairs Interim Committee.

The group included native election directors, representatives from the Montana Secretary of State’s Workplace and Commissioner of Political Practices, and lawmakers from each main events. They went over election guidelines and legal guidelines, checked out vote-tabulating machines and discovered concerning the post-election audit course of.

Bedey mentioned they concluded election officers and the volunteers who work with them are doing a superb job. He mentioned the tabulators – which depend the paper ballots Montanans vote on – are safe and might’t be accessed by means of the web, and the audit course of would catch any points with the depend.

Bedey mentioned, nationwide, teams on the proper and the left have each contributed to a lack of belief within the election system over the previous couple of many years, by questioning election outcomes.

“This can’t stand, and we can’t ignore it,” he mentioned. “We should deal with this assault, I imagine, on our elementary consultant democracy.”

The working group put collectively an 18-page doc, referred to as “Elections in Montana.” It solutions generally requested questions on issues like how election officers search to stop folks from registering or voting a number of occasions, and the way ballots are dealt with and counted.

The data is offered on the web site VotingInMontana.org, put collectively by election directors. It additionally consists of hyperlinks to essential types, dates and get in touch with data for state and native officers.

Additionally throughout Wednesday’s assembly, the Secretary of State’s Workplace and native election directors shared details about how they verify voter signatures on mail ballots. Every poll have to be signed, and officers evaluate these signatures to the signatures voters offered after they initially registered.

Stuart Fuller, the SOS’s election and voter companies supervisor, mentioned, sometimes, if a workers member questions whether or not the signature matches the one on file, a second one checks it. In the event that they nonetheless can’t affirm a match, the subsequent step is to contact the voter instantly – by cellphone, electronic mail or mail – to attempt to resolve the problem.

“The place we see the signatures not being the identical, the coaching is you reject it and confirm it with the voter,” Fuller mentioned.

In some instances, voters are required to come back in to resolve the discrepancy. If officers aren’t in a position to attain the voter, the poll will likely be rejected.

“More often than not, our rejections get become pluses,” mentioned Flathead County election supervisor Monica Eisenzimer. “We get lots of people which might be very grateful – they didn’t know that we really checked them; they know the rule is that we’re presupposed to verify them, however they didn’t notice that somebody really verifies their signature.”

Eisenzimer mentioned, in her workplace, solely probably the most skilled workers members are tasked with checking signatures. She estimated they’ll take care of a number of hundred signature points in an election cycle, out of greater than 60,000 votes solid. She mentioned just a few of these will likely be unable to be resolved.

Fuller mentioned election officers get coaching on verifying signatures each two years. They take a look at factors just like the capital letters, the way in which letters path off, letter spacing and the place the signature sits on the road. He mentioned the precise content material of the signature – using an preliminary versus a full title, for instance – doesn’t need to be precisely the identical to be able to depend.

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Related Topics:David Bedey Featured Monica Eisenzimer montana secretary of state Stuart Fuller

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Montana

Montana senators receive committee assignments for 119th Congress

Published

52 minutes ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Montana senators receive committee assignments for 119th Congress

Micah Drew

(Daily Montanan) Montana’s soon-to-be senior U.S. Sen. Steve Daines will keep a key leadership position in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the upcoming Congress, as well as take a new position on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota on Friday announced the Senate Republican Conference committee assignments for the upcoming 119^th Congress beginning next year. Daines also will serve on the Finance and Indian Affairs committees.

“It’s an honor to serve Montanans in the U.S. Senate, and I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on these crucial committees to fight for our Montana way of life,” Daines said in a prepared statement. “President (Donald) Trump received a mandate from the American people, and with these committee assignments I’ll be working to enact the president’s agenda to unleash American energy, cut taxes, open overseas markets for Montana farmers and ranchers, improve America’s relationships abroad, bring down costs for hardworking families, secure the southern border and stem the flow of deadly drugs.”

Daines has also been the ranking member on the Subcommittee on National Parks, which he will chair in the upcoming Republican-controlled Senate.

Sen.-elect Tim Sheehy, a Navy Seal, will serve on the committees on Armed Services, on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and on Veterans’ Affairs.

Sheehy, of Bozeman, won his election to the Senate against incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, who had chaired the Veterans’ Affairs committee during the last two sessions of Congress.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Dec. 25, 2024

Published

9 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 25, 2024, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 25 drawing

15-26-27-30-35, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 25 drawing

04-10-35-42-45, Lucky Ball: 02

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 25 drawing

04-05-40-42-52, Star Ball: 10, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Dec. 25 drawing

09-18-19-25, Bonus: 15

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Dec. 25 drawing

08-29-30-47-57, Powerball: 01

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from Dec. 25 drawing

01-05-10-39-41

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9:00 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9:00 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Montana

Montana authors talk about state's 'political hell-raiser,' archaeology • Daily Montanan

Published

20 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Montana authors talk about state's 'political hell-raiser,' archaeology • Daily Montanan

Historian and author Marc Johnson gives a book talk next month about Burton K. Wheeler, “one of the most powerful politicians Montana ever produced,” as part of the Montana Historical Society’s lecture series.

Johnson will speak from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at Touchmark, 915 Saddle Dr. in Helena. He will talk about his book, “Political Hell-Raiser: The Life and Times of Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana.”

“(Wheeler) came of political age amid antiwar and labor unrest in Butte, Montana, during World War I, battling Montana’s powerful economic interests and championing farmers and miners as a crusading United States attorney,” said the announcement from the Montana Historical Society. “Wheeler went on to become one of the most influential, and controversial, members of the United States Senate during three of the most eventful decades in American history.”

Also in January, author and University of Montana archaeology professor Douglas MacDonald will discuss his “Land of Beginnings: The Archaeology of Montana’s First Peoples.”

The book talk takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16, at the Lewis & Clark Library, 120 S. Last Chance Gulch in Helena.

“While researchers have learned a great deal about the origins of the first people to call this region home, questions remain about which route or routes they took and when they made this journey,” said the Montana Historical Society about the book talk.

The organization also said the Original Governor’s Mansion will be open for free guided tours at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 26, and on Saturday, Dec. 28.

“The Queen Anne-Style mansion will be decorated for the holiday season through the weekend with surprises for visitors of all ages,” said the announcement.

For more information, contact Darby Bramble at [email protected].

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