Increased public scrutiny and a flurry of new laws in recent years have made running a smooth election a daunting task, says Flathead County Clerk and Recorder Debbie Pierson. 

That’s why she proposed establishing an independent Elections Department, led by an appointed and nonpartisan elections administrator, to county commissioners on Nov. 6. 

Elections administrator is one of five hats Pierson wears as the county clerk and recorder, an elected position she's held for more than a decade. But the Elections Department has rapidly grown in its complexity in recent years. 

“We seem to constantly be doing some election or another, even outside of the regular federal, municipal, school elections,” Pierson told commissioners. “And just the law surrounding elections, the passion and interest in elections, has continued to get more and more structured and scrutinized.” 

Public distrust of election processes grew following the 2020 presidential election, when then-presidential candidate Donald Trump lobbied Congress to reject certified election results. 

In the years since, Montana legislators have approved changes to the state’s election processes. Pierson said the elections administrator must stay diligent to keep up with the adjustments to election and voter registration rules.  

“It's best to have somebody who can be on top of all those laws,” Pierson said. “And the law is constantly changing.” 

Pierson noted there is no experience necessary to run for clerk and recorder, a position elected by voters every four years.  

“There's always that potential of bringing in somebody overseeing elections that doesn't have any experience, as far as being the elections administrator,” Pierson said. 

When discussing salary for a new elections administrator role, County Administrator Pete Melnick said this is a position worth the county’s investment. He pointed to the 2023 Kalispell City Council election, when incorrect ballots were sent to voters after the Election Department used outdated ward boundaries.  

The issue landed in Flathead County District Court. Judge Robert Allison ruled that the clerical error could have changed the outcome in two of four city council races, according to a decision released Feb. 16, 2024, and ordered elections run again.  

“Elections is one of those departments where the public expects zero mistakes, right? They want a flawless, uncontested result,” Melnick said. “Paying more for that quality, to me, is very much worth it.” 

Creating an independent elections administrator provides several key benefits, Pierson said. County commissioners would be able to select a candidate based on their level of education, background experience and technological proficiency.  

The independent elections administrator would also be non-partisan, cutting the position’s affiliation with a political party. Pierson noted this is crucial to building public trust in election oversight. 

“There is no room for any partisan politics or processes involved in the decision-making that has to go on for elections,” she said.  

Several other counties have already separated the role of elections administrator from the clerk and recorder position, Pierson added.  

The downside to separating the elections administrator from the county clerk and recorder is a $2,000 cut from the clerk’s salary, making it the lowest-paid elected position, Pierson said. 

All three Flathead County commissioners supported the proposition, nodding to the heightened public pressure for a fair and transparent election.  

“It just makes sense ... the laws changed so much in the last few years,” said Commissioner Pam Holmquist. “If you have just one department concentrated on keeping up with what those statutory criteria are, it's just a whole different ball game and something you can really defend for everybody.” 

Pierson urged commissioners to adopt a new resolution before the end of the year since candidate filings, including for clerk and recorder, open on Jan. 8. 

Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 758-4439 or [email protected].