Secretary of State Must Address Errors in Election System
Updated: March 7, 2013
Sandy Welch holds state officials accountable to correct election system errors identified in application and district court hearing
KALISPELL, Mont., --- After receiving court-ordered validation for concerns of ballot counting errors, candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Sandy Welch, urges government officials to correct problems in election system before the next state-wide election cycle.
"It is disheartening to have truly found what the state of our election system looks like," said Welch. "We entrust a great deal of authority to our elected officials through the vote we cast every other year. When the officials who are responsible for securing that system cannot recognize the need for improvement, it is up to the voters to raise the bar of accountability."
Welch found that state law was violated on multiple accounts while counting ballots on election-day.
"From ballots jamming machines to stickers being used to correct ballots, we found far too many violations of law in how the process was conducted across the state," said Welch. "The Secretary of State must ensure that this inconsistency ends before the next election. Montana voters deserve to know that the system that counts their vote is in strict adherence to the laws surrounding the process."
With a bond of about $115,000, Welch will not meet the required financial benchmark in time to proceed with the recount.
"I have been humbled by the support that has been given thus far, unfortunately, we just didn't reach the needed amount to keep going and to personally incur this financial liability is beyond my capabilities," said Welch. "I have the best and most loyal grassroots supporters, and I am honored to be their candidate, and it would have been an honor to serve them as State Superintendent; however, the vote count we must settle with indicates a different victor."
In effort to hold state officials accountable to fixing errors in the state's voting system, Welch has offered to make findings from her application available to parties interested in fixing the issue.
