Secretary of State Linda McCulloch Responds to Requests to Fix Election Process
After failing to raise the funds needed for a recount Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Sandy Welch said that the Secretary of State must repair inconsistencies found in Montana’s election process.
Secretary of State Linda McCulloch responded to Welch's request by saying the inconsistencies did not exist. "The judge even said that there's no harm to the State and that he would have recounts as long as the candidate paid for it," said McCulloch, "but he said that the issues were not material. The actuality is that every voter got to vote and that's the important part of it."
McCulloch says a recount would have been good for the state and would have helped to reassure voters that the process works. "It's over now and the election is put to bed. I'm disappointed that there's not going to be a recount, we were ready, the counties were ready and I'm confidant that a recount would not have changed the race results.
As to the high cost of the recount, McCulloch says that each county was responsible for sending an estimated cost for the procedure to the Secretary of State’s office. Those estimates were added to reach the combined total of $114,000.
Interview with Secretary of State Linda McCullouch: