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Carter Center Partner in Montana Releases Final Report of Observation Findings on the State’s General Election
February 17, 2025
ATLANTA — The Carter Center’s election observation partner in Montana, the Montana Election Observation Initiative (MTEOI), today issued its full report of observation findings surrounding the state’s November 5 general election process.
The report concludes that “Montana’s 2024 elections were secure, transparent, and well-managed, reflecting the state’s strong civic participation and commitment to democratic integrity.” Observers noted strong dedication from election workers and volunteers to navigate the complex nature of elections and overcome challenges to better serve voters. MTEOI further provided recommendations for potential areas of improvement including as relates to resource allocation, the increased standardization of and collaboration around best practices, and enhanced voter education and outreach.
MTEOI first launched a pilot in Missoula County to observe its June 4 primary election cycle. Following the pilot’s success, the partner decided to expand its program across sixteen counties for the November 5 general election (Bighorn, Broadwater, Carbon, Cascade, Custer, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Hill, Lake, Lewis & Clark, Missoula, Ravalli, Rosebud, Roosevelt, and Yellowstone), representing around 75% of the state’s voting population. MTEOI’s nonpartisan election observers monitored the intricate steps of Montana’s electoral process from start to finish: the logic & accuracy testing of voting equipment, absentee ballot pre-processing & tabulation, in-person voting on election day, tabulation of ballots (including provisional & UOCAVA ballots), post-election audits, and the county certification of results. The program is the state’s first-of-its-kind effort to provide a holistic nonpartisan assessment of the procedural conduct of elections.
Under the guidance of a cross-partisan advisory committee chaired by former legislators Jeff Mangan and Geraldine Custer, and sponsored by The Carter Center in partnership with the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana, MTEOI aims to enhance transparency and public understanding about election procedures in Montana, detect and deter electoral malfeasance, and offer evidence-based recommendations for electoral reform to improve the conduct of elections. The effort, led by and for Montanans, assesses whether the state’s electoral laws and procedures are consistently and accurately followed. MTEOI hopes to play a larger role in collaboration, engagement, and information-sharing as the electoral landscape continues to change. For more information, visit mteoi.org.
MTEOI Adds - “This Initiative could not have been possible without the enormous dedication of our citizen observers, who each volunteered many hours of their time to support this effort; the election administrators whose transparency and commitment to trusted elections in the state of Montana made this effort possible; our Advisory Board; and our sponsors.”
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