On April 4, the Missoula County, Montana Board of Supervisors voted that every ballot-qualified party with a county structure in the county should have a representative on the county’s Election Advisory Commission. See this story.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
Advice —
NO primaries
PR and AppV
How admirable that they did something reasonable and proper.
I think it is specific to the Libertarian Party. The EAC meets every couple of months. Typically most of the meeting was being led by the Election Administrator. For example, in 2017 she did briefings on pending elections legislation, and also about proposed precinct changes. the EAC had a discussion every meeting in 2017 about adding a student representative (the University of Montana is in Missoula).
The Elections Administrator resigned last fall, and the county commissioners just did appoint a replacement. The position itself is fairly new (since 2014). It was somewhat of a trial to have an independent appointed EA, and county commissioners voted last year to continue the appointed practice. The former county clerk and recorder had recommended making the EA appointed. The EA now reports to her in her position of County Administrative Officer. The current (elected) County Clerk and Recorder recommended bringing elections back under him (this is the traditional official for Montana elections).
The idea of having Libertarian representative seems to have come out of nowhere in January. They appear to want advice from groups which might have a particular interest in how elections are conducted. There continues to be a member with a disabilities interest, and now a post-secondary student member. There are now the three members appointed by the parties, and four members appointed by the county commissioners, one representing student interests, one representing disability interests, and two at-large. The position for an employee of the county government was eliminated.