Gallatin County commission moves to create appointed election administrator and new elections department

The Gallatin County Commission moved to adopt a resolution authorizing the appointment of a county election administrator and the formal creation of a county elections department, with the change slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2027 and election duties removed from the Clerk and Recorder’s office at the end of business on Dec. 31, 2026.

Clerk and Recorder Eric Semrad presented the resolution and cited Montana Code Annotated 13-1-301 as the statutory authority allowing a county to appoint an election administrator in place of the clerk-and-recorder serving as election administrator. Semrad said the change would professionalize the role by establishing minimum education and experience requirements and would allow the county to plan succession for a technically complex office.

The proposal drew a split public response at the hearing. Supporters — including former clerk and recorder Charlotte Mills and election professionals such as Casey Hayes — argued the growth in ballots and election complexity requires a full-time, qualified administrator. "It was a full time job," said Charlotte Mills, describing her experience overseeing elections as a dedicated role separate from land-record duties. Casey Hayes, a former state and county elections manager, told commissioners, "Election administration is one of the most complex jobs in public service," and urged that an appointed administrator would help ensure staffing, funding and nonpartisan administration.

Opponents said the change would remove a layer of direct voter control. Myla Davis, chair of the Gallatin County Republican Central Committee, said the resolution would "strip the role from the clerk and recorder ... leaving citizens without a say in who runs our elections." Representative Henkel, speaking online, said she opposed the measure on democratic grounds and warned it would take a vote away from the people.

Commission discussion referenced experience in other Montana counties and a letter read into the record from Cascade County Commissioner Joe Briggs about Cascade County’s move to an appointed administrator following contested post‑2020 disputes. Commissioners noted voter turnout and scale have grown — citing roughly 40,000 ballots in a 2004 presidential year versus about 71,000 ballots in 2024 — and said those changes informed their view that the position requires sustained, professional oversight. One commissioner said the change provides "continuity to management processes," citing staggered terms of county commissioners as a stabilizing factor.

A commissioner moved to adopt Resolution 2025‑105 to authorize the appointment of an election administrator and create an election department; a second was offered and discussion followed. The transcript records the motion and subsequent discussion; it does not include a roll‑call tally. The record indicates the commission proceeded to subsequent agenda items after the motion, and the commission implementation timeline in the proposal sets the position to report to the county commission beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

What happens next: the resolution as presented would require the county to draft a job description and set minimum qualifications, and the county will need to identify and fund the position in upcoming budgets. The commission also referenced notices and prior public hearings held on Nov. 29 and Dec. 6.