2012 Missoula Election Coverage and Results

The intent of this post is to keep readers informed of all the local election news that pours into the KGVO news room at the minute we receive it. Updates to this post will increase rapidly after 8 o'clock when election results are announced.

Update - 7:04 a.m. Nov. 8

All of Missoula's numbers are in, however, the State of Montana is still waiting patiently for results from Yellowstone County results. All major races have been resolved, however both the races for Governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction are within 1% and may be recounted.

4:31 p.m. Nov. 7

With 90% of Montana's votes counted and still only 1% of difference between both of the frontline gubernatorial candidates, Steve Bullock has given an acceptance speech at the Great Northern Hotel in Helena.  Rick Hill has offered a concession speech.

12:30 Nov. 7

Libertarian Candidate for Senate Dan Cox responds to claims that he is a "spoiler," by saying "I didn't spoil Rehberg's race, it was his record that spoiled it." Cox says that Montana won and lost in this election. Here's the full audio of his comments after Tester's victory announcement.

11:40 a.m. Nov.7

The Superintendent of Public Instruction race between Denise Juneau (D) and Sandy Welch (R) is within 1% of difference with Juneau currently in the lead. We just spoke with Sandy who said the race "may not be determined for weeks." if the race is between .5 percent or .25 percent there will likely be a recount, however, it has been so long since Montana has done a statewide recount that it is unknown how much such a count would cost. So far, estimates are upwards of $2,000 dollars for the candidate that is behind.

Interview with Sandy Welch:

10:00 a.m. Nov. 7

Jon Tester has given a victory speech shortly after the Associated Press announced that he would maintain his Senate seat.

7:30 a.m. Nov. 7

So far, all of the ballot measures appear as if they will easily pass. Hill and Bullock are within 2% of each other. Tim Fox (R) appears to be besting Pam Bucy (D) by 11%. The Superintendent of Public Instruction race is neck and neck with Denise Juneau (D) leading Sandy Welch (R) by a mere 230 votes.  Tester is leading Rehberg by about 4% and a few races in the Missoula area have finalized.

Jennifer Fielder (R) has won Senate District 07 with 56.21% of the vote.

Nicholas Schwaderer(R) has won House District 14 with 49.15% of the vote.

Bryce Bennett (D) has won House District 92 with 66.28% of the vote.

Douglas Coffin (D) has wne House District 93 with 68.23% of the vote.

Tom Steenberg (D) has wne House District 95 with 63.07% of the vote.

Jenifer Gursky (D) has won House District 98 with 58.07% of the vote.

11:33 p.m. Nov. 6

Below, find three interviews featuring Peter Christian with Jean Curtiss, who won a third term  as Missoula County Commissioner, Champ Edmunds who won his second term in House District 100, and Missoula Clerk and Recorder Vicki Zeier, who comments on why it took so much longer to get initial election results from Missoula County.

Peter Christian with Jean Curtiss

Peter Christian with Champ Edmunds

Peter Christian with Vicki Zeier

10:10 Nov.6

With 16 of 794 precincts reporting, all of Montanaa's ballot measures are on pace to pass, the closest fight is over initiative 124, which would change Montana's medical marijuana law.

In statewide races, democrats are leading republicans across the board, with the the closest races being between Tim Fox (47%) and Pam Bucy (52%) for the position of Attorney General and between Denise Juneau (57%) and Sandy Welch (42%) for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

9:30 Nov. 6

National media is handing Ohio and Iowa to President Obama, closing almost all hope for a Romney Presidency.

8:45 Nov. 6

The registration lines at the Missoula county fairground still have around 200 people, Bozeman has run out of ballots, and Yellowstone county is also reporting extremely long lines. Missoula county results may not be available for another two hours.

8:30 Nov. 6

Secretary of State Linda McCullough is reporting that 272,432 absentee ballots have been returned, that is equivalent to 87.5% of all of the absentee ballots out there and close to the 90% all time record.

8:10 Nov. 6

Peter Christian reporting from the Missoula County Fairgrounds says that Missoula's results will be delayed by at least half-an-hour while the 70 or more people still in line wait to register and vote.

8:00 Nov. 6

The official Secretary of State results are now available, very early totals show a leads for Romney for President and a Daines lead for the U.S. House. Most other statewide seats show an early absentee vote lead for democrats.

5:29 Nov. 6

The first results in the U.S. Presidential race are being reported. Romney is nearly doubling Obama in Kentucky (18% reporting). Romney also has a significant lead in Indiana (8% reporting) Obama is currently projected to take Vermont handily besting Romney by 3 to 1.

If these trends continue and Romney takes Kentucky and Indiana and Obama takes Vermont, then Romney will hold 24 electoral votes to Obama's 3. Keep in mind that 270 electoral votes are needed to win.

1:00 p.m. Nov. 6

The line for late registration and voting at the Missoula county fairgrounds at 9:00 a.m. this morning took about thirty minutes to wait through (see picture below). By noon the waiting time had increased to over an hour.

All votes must be in before 8:00 p.m. on the evening of November 6, to find a polling place, or learn how to register to vote go here.

3:30 p.m.

The lines at the County fairgrounds are about 2 hours long. There are many college students here registering to vote for the first time. They wait in line to register, then it's another hour and a half to vote.

At Cold Springs School, election judge Bunnie Haines said over 700 people had voted since the polls opened at 7 a.m. She said several 18 year-old Sentinel High School students were turned away from voting. She said the students took a government class, but the teacher failed to turn in their voter registration cards, so the election judges sent them to the Fairgrounds office to register.

Below..an interview with three young would-be voters at the fairgrounds.