Where Montana’s special election committee stands

The Joint Select Committee on Election Security has spent months exploring the nuances of Montana’s election system. That work has crystallized in three proposals targeting absentee voter list maintenance and voting machine procedures, all of which won bipartisan support in the Senate.

Statewide Race Results

Credit: Montana final 2020 vote counts by Eric Dietrich

Now that the election is over, the real work begins.

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Election News

Montana’s nine-day election laws trial concludes

A nine-day trial over Montana’s new election laws concluded in Billings Thursday. In the proceeding’s final days, arguments pivoted to the laws’ origins, and finally shed light on how the case ties to Montana’s election skepticism movement.

Shared State Podcast

Shared State: The politics of death and dying

In 2009, Montana was caught up in a heated national debate over whether terminally ill patients could expedite their deaths by taking lethal, physician-prescribed medication. More than a decade later, the state is still mired in disagreement about medical aid in dying, in part because courts and elected lawmakers have sidestepped the political hot-potato. Meanwhile, individual Montanans are confronting profound and personal questions about death in their own ways — including whether “good” deaths are even possible. 

In 2009, Montana was caught up in a heated national debate over whether terminally ill patients could expedite their deaths by taking lethal, physician-prescribed medication. More than a decade later, the state is still mired in disagreement about medical aid in dying, in part because courts and elected lawmakers have sidestepped the political hot-potato. Meanwhile,…

Shared State: Colstrip’s next chapter

There’s not much certainty for the coal industry these days. In Montana, four of the six owners of the Colstrip Power Plant live in states where legislation is requiring companies to wean themselves off of coal energy. Residents of Colstrip — a town that has grown and prospered because of that resource —  fear that any bad news for the industry will be even worse for them. Up against shifting markets and corporate interests, how can advocates for Colstrip ensure future stability for its residents?

Shared State: Bozeman is in a housing death spiral. Can local politics fix anything?

For decades, housing affordability has been a hot-button issue in Bozeman politics, a clear community pain point where the city’s elected leaders haven’t managed to deliver significant relief. As insider and outsider candidates campaigned for city offices in 2021, housing policy became the election’s key issue. The solution, some residents argued, was to elect working class advocates to positions of power. Key to getting the job done, others countered, is experienced, incumbent leadership. 

Shared State: Popularity’s slippery slope

Whitefish has a reputation as a charming ski destination in Montana’s northwest corner that welcomes wayward strays, whether that’s for a season or a lifetime. That attitude has helped grow small businesses and local watering holes, and keep friendly faces on the slopes and behind the bar. But in recent years, more and more people have been drawn to the good thing Whitefish has going on. Locals fear that surging popularity — and skyrocketing cost of living — could push out the very characters that make this place so special.

More Shared State


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MORE ELECTIONS COVERAGE

What’s at stake as new election laws go to trial

Over the next 10 days, attorneys on either side of Montana’s election administration lawsuit will explore how three challenged laws impact voters, election officials and voter confidence. Here’s a look at the arguments they laid out on day one.


MORE ELECTIONS HEADLINES

Court strikes down new ballot distribution law

A Montana district court judge ruled Wednesday that a new law prohibiting ballot distribution to minors who will turn 18 by Election Day violates the state Constitution — resolving one question in an ongoing legal challenge to four election laws passed by the 2021 Legislature.

New allegations surface in Missoula County election

Last week, the Missoula County Republican Party determined there was “no voter fraud” in Missoula’s 2020 election. Now Rep. Brad Tschida has responded with new claims of incompetence or deliberate wrongdoing on the part of the county election office.

Weighing the evidence in Montana’s voting rights lawsuit

With Montana’s June 2022 primary election fast approaching, a legal challenge to new state voting laws could have significant repercussions for voters and county election officials alike. What does the evidence say about the pros and cons of those laws in practice?

Congressional races up and running

Candidates running for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives have filed their requisite paperwork as of 5 p.m. Monday, bringing the tally of active candidates up to nine Republicans, six Democrats, four Libertarians and one Independent.

Federal judges order new map for 2022 utility board election

A panel of federal judges has ordered Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen to use a court-drawn district map for this year’s Public Service Commission elections, shifting the district assignments for four Montana counties days before the March 14 candidate filing deadline for the two PSC seats up for election this year.

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