Committee agrees to request study of primary date, election timelines and clerks' workload

During executive session, members discussed launching an interim study on the state primary date and related election-administration timelines and voted to request that study.

Representative Perry moved that the committee request a study resolution to examine the primary date and the downstream effects of any change. Vice chair Quorden (role referenced in discussion) and other members supported the idea, saying moving a primary date creates a ‘‘snowball effect’’ across election deadlines and requires a comprehensive flowchart to understand dependencies. Committee staff, Miss Power, told members the deadline to request a study resolution is Friday and that either the committee or an individual legislator may request the study.

Members listed topics the interim study should consider, including automatic voter registration, online voter registration, revisiting continuous count procedures, expanding the pool of election judges (by changing age range or eligibility), and other steps to reduce workload for clerks and recorders. Several members stressed the goal of keeping Montana’s elections "honest, fair, and secure" while making timelines manageable for local election offices.

The committee agreed to pursue the study request so staff can draft the resolution before the Friday deadline and to revisit scope and agency participation in the coming days. No formal report or bill language was adopted at this meeting; the action was a committee direction to request the interim study.