MT: School Board votes to certify election in Great Falls, but acknowledge 'irregularities'
The Great Falls Public School District Board of Trustees voted 4-3 this week to certify the election results from their May 2 election, a first election run by newly elected Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant riddled with problems that some say left voters disenfranchised.
Two of the four “no” votes were from incumbent candidates who were on the ballot, Kim Skornogoski and Amie Thompson. Bill Bronson, also an incumbent candidate, voted “yes” to certify, but said “pick your poison.”
“Accepting the results – it does raise the question in people’s mind, ‘well, are you essentially forgiving or forgetting about the process of how those results were obtained?’” Bronson said. “We recognize there were some irregularities. There’s no question about it.”
In an interview, Skornogoski cited several of the issues and breaks from precedent with this election. She said one of the most concerning to her was at least two precincts not receiving absentee ballots.
Other issues included voters receiving two absentee ballots, ballots not fitting properly in the return envelope, and the polling location opening an hour late, with voters not able to submit ballots before going to work in the morning.
https://dailymontanan.com/2023/05/26/school-board-votes-to-certify-election-in-great-falls-but-acknowledge-irregularities/
= new reply since forum marked as read
