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Elections office asks for full-time clerk as voter rolls and responsibilities expand
Summary
Lincoln County elections staff reported a rise to 13,500 active voters and asked commissioners for one additional full-time elections clerk/secretary to handle a growing workload, cybersecurity and infrastructure needs ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
The Lincoln County Elections Administrator told commissioners Dec. 10 that the office has grown to 13,500 active voters and has been recognized by the Federal Election Commission for strong handling of overseas/military ballots and election security practices. The office reported a recent cybersecurity assessment noting two key issues: power/internet instability in the current basement location and the need for a standalone server; the assessment also recommended additional staff.
The elections office said it is the eighth-largest voting county in Montana by active voters and is operating with a staff of two. The administrator asked the board to approve hiring one full-time elections clerk or secretary to support daily operations, list maintenance, candidate filing, judge training and multiple 2026 elections including federal primaries, general elections and several local levies. Commissioners discussed grant possibilities but said the budget currently lacks capacity to add permanent staff without outside funding. The secretary asked for GIS boundary-change decisions by Feb. 18 to meet federal-election deadlines.
