Cascade commissioners remove election oversight from fellow Republican

A Montana clerk and recorder who expressed doubt about the integrity of the election process during her 2022 campaign lost her election oversight duties on Tuesday in a vote by county commissioners, reflecting some of the turmoil nationwide since conspiracy theories spread about the 2020 presidential election.

Hundreds of people attended the meeting at the Cascade County fairgrounds, and nearly 100 testified either in person or online. More than half the speakers supported Sandra Merchant continuing to oversee elections, at least until her four-year term was up in January 2027.

However, one person brought in a petition with 300 signatures in favor of a motion to transfer the election oversight to an appointed county employee, and the school district asked the county to remove election duties from the clerk and recorder's office after issues with the school board election this year.