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Election administrators urge repeal of continuous-count requirement, citing fatigue and errors
Summary
County election officials urged the House State Administration Committee to pass HB187, which would allow counties to pause overnight ballot counting to reduce worker fatigue and errors; witnesses described long shifts (one county reported 53-hour continuous counting) and proposed guardrails such as an accounting plan filed with the Secretary of State.
Representative Bob Carter told the committee HB187 would remove a statutory requirement that counties count ballots continuously on Election Day, giving counties discretion to pause overnight and resume the next day. "Impaired cognitive ability from lack of sleep is very important," Carter said in his closing remarks, urging the committee to allow administrators flexibility.
Multiple county election officials testified in favor. Bradley Seaman (Missoula County) described errors that occurred late at night and said pause authority improves accuracy and staffing sustainability: "As people get tired, simple tasks can become more complicated...These are the sort of errors we can prevent by allowing us to pause the process." Connor Fitzpatrick (Lewis and Clark County) walked committee members through operational safeguards—batch checks, sealed tubs and tabulator seals, and the post‑election audit process—to show how security can be maintained if counties pause counting.
Amy Reeves (Lewis and Clark) and Eric Semerad (Gallatin County) described recruitment and safety problems: temporary staff shortages, extended shifts, and in Gallatin’s case, what Semerad called an "extraordinarily long election" that strained staffing. Fitzpatrick and others proposed an "accounting plan" filed with the Secretary of State that would notify the state of counties’ intended counting schedule and contact points, as a middle-ground safeguard against undue delay.
Committee members questioned how long results might be delayed and what guardrails would prevent counties from stretching out counting; administrators pointed to the two‑week canvass timeline and local canvass boards as backstops. The hearing closed with the sponsor reiterating accuracy and worker‑safety rationales.
Next steps: HB187 will be considered by the committee; members may seek amendments that add reporting or notification requirements to the Secretary of State to address concerns about transparency and timelines.
