Montana Secretary of State: ‘Ship Has Sailed’ to Change Ballots

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen told me on Wednesday that an effort to force changes in the Montana election ballots proved unsuccessful after a state court decision.

Jacobsen said Montana’s election laws are cut and dried, with no room for last-minute revisions, stating ‘that ship has sailed’.

Jacobsen said Ballots Are Printed and 'That Ship Has Sailed'

“We have strict deadlines,” began Secretary Jacobsen. “They're all statutory deadlines. There is so much preparation and things that need to be done before the general election, on November 5^th, and we already certified the ballot. That's a statutory deadline that requires our office to certify all of the candidates on the ballot so the counties can start proofing, creating those ballots, and getting them off to the printer.”

Jacobsen explained the problem that the Montana Democratic Party had with the already printed ballots.

Jacobsen Said Democrats Wanted the Green Party Off the Ballot

“The Green Party qualified for the ballot, and the Democrats sued and tried to kick him (the Green Party candidate) off of the ballot, and we just had a favorable court ruling that says we've already certified the ballot,” she said. “It's too late to go back, and what they're asking is already a done deal.”

Jacobsen said the Democratic Party is playing what she termed ‘political games’.

“It's basically just political gamesmanship from coastal attorneys trying to influence our elections here in Montana,” she said. “The court was clear. Our office and the counties followed the law, and the left doesn't have a credible argument. The ballot was certified. We did it according to law, according to statute, and the original lawsuit, now on appeal, are just a Hail Mary attempt to circumvent Montana laws at the expense of our Montana election officials.”

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Jacobsen said There is Simply No Time to Revise the General Election Ballots

Jacobsen explained why there is simply no time to revise Montana’s election ballots.

“On September 20^th, military ballots will be sent out, and absentee voters will receive their ballots,” she said. “They'll be mailed out on October 11. So the election is soon going to be underway, and we and our county officials have done a great job getting all of the work done to prepare for the election.”

Jacobsen added that she would be working with Montana’s attorney general to ensure that only legal Montana citizens will be allowed to cast ballots in the November 5 general election.