Bill would shift mail-ballot plans from Secretary of State filings to local posting to reduce review burden

Representative Morgan Teal opened House Bill 527, saying the bill requires local election administrators to post mail-ballot plans on their own websites in lieu of filing them with the Secretary of State. "Some years, the secretary receives around 500 plans and filing with the secretary is unnecessary," Teal said, arguing that the public is better served by local posting.

Austin James, testifying on behalf of the Secretary of State, described the operational burden: the office receives hundreds of mail-ballot plans (sometimes in zip files from large counties) and two full-time staff review them, finding date errors in roughly half of plans in his account. "How often is there a mail ballot plan that is incorrect? ... They said, oh, about 50%." He said moving to local posting would modernize the process and allow the SOS office to focus on higher-value work, though it would not eliminate the two staff positions.

James also said the bill largely codifies an existing default: if a mail-ballot plan is not posted or approved, the election becomes a polling-place election. He acknowledged that one county lacks a website and suggested counties may use social media or other methods to post plans to meet the purpose of the bill.

Regina Plettenberg of the Montana Association of Clerk and Recorders attended as an informational witness to answer technical questions. Committee members asked whether the proposal applies to federal elections and were told it does not; the scope covers local mail-ballot elections only.

Representative Teal closed by saying the bill reduces "busy work" for local election administrators and improves public access to election plans; she requested a do-pass recommendation.