Do you value democracy, pay close attention to details, and have the physical and mental stamina to work 18-hour days? Then serving as an election judge might be the ideal parttime job, especially for those who aspire to work twice every other year.

Despite the long hours, Lake County election judges Misty Doss and Lloyd Turnage say they’ll return to the polls June 2 and Nov. 3. For both, it’s an opportunity to be involved in a fundamental pillar of democracy.

Turnage, son of former legislator and Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Turnage, regards it as an important civic duty, and one he remembers his mother, Eula Mae, participating in “whenever my dad wasn't on the ballot.”

In addition to family tradition, Turnage said he wanted to better understand the election process.

“I wanted to see exactly how the sausage is made,” he said. And after working federal elections in 2022 and 2024, “I am very much reassured that everything is accounted for, and in Lake County it’s very, very above board.”

Doss, who first served as a tribal election judge, has worked county elections for a decade, serving at Central Count in the courthouse. Like Turnage, she wanted to be involved in the process.

 “I like making sure that things are fair and accurate for the people of our community,” she said. “And I also care very much about democracy and election integrity.”

She advises members of the public who have concerns about election security “to come in and watch. There's a lot of people that take it seriously and put a lot of care into making sure that everything is the way it's supposed to be.”

Even though both are experienced, they’ll attend the mandatory training sessions held March 12-27 in Polson. The three-hour sessions, offered from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. weekdays, are required of all returning and new election judges. Taught by election administrator Toni Kramer, trainings cover the how-to of running free and fair elections.

For the first time, the training will be held in the new election office, located on the first floor of the Dave Stipe Annex on First St. E. in Polson. Previously, trainings were offered in the Lake County Courthouse’s third-floor conference room, which was also home to Central Count – where all the votes are officially tabulated during elections.

That process now happens in the spacious first-floor digs of the election office, meaning poll workers no longer have to make multiple trips up and down three flights of stairs on Election Day.

Doss and Turnage agree that the biennial training is invaluable, serving as an introduction for new judges, a refresher for returnees, and a primer on new election laws and procedures.

“If you're going to do a primary election and the general, those are just two days out of two years and you need the refresher,” Turnage said. “There's always changes.”

Kramer understands that training can be overwhelming for first-timers. Fortunately, new judges “will always be working with experienced people,” she says.

Although about 110 judges are needed for primary and general elections, Kramer hopes to train around 125 to make sure the election is covered “if things come up.” As of last week, nearly 60 judges from the last election cycle had returned their applications, so Kramer is hoping at least 60 more apply between now and early March.

She can’t guarantee that applicants will work in the same precinct where they reside. Right now, most applicants are from Polson, so she’s especially hoping people apply from other areas, including Arlee, Charlo, Ronan and St. Ignatius, as well as Bear Dance on the west shore. 

She also aspires to engage more youngsters in the process. Currently the age range of election judges is 44 to 87, with an average age of 69. Turnage points to himself, and his grey hair, as an example.

“Retired people do have the time,” he said. “But you hope that younger generations will see the need and the importance of it.”

Doss, on the other hand, is one of the youngest election judges at 51.

“We have judges that have been serving Lake County for 30-plus years, which is amazing and I love it,” Kramer says. “But we always want new people coming in also.”

Different judges require different skill sets, but all of them need stamina, since judges begin their day at 6 a.m. and often work until at least 10 p.m. They also need to stay focused for long periods of time, and pay attention to detail, especially those like Doss who work at Central Count. Kramer notes that those who don’t feel they can work long hours can find someone to split their shift with them; of course both would need to attend training. 

Turnage notes that each election job “is important in its own way and a lot of them are kind of there as checks on the other ones to make sure that when you reconcile at the end of the night, everything comes out.”

Turnage also gave “a little shout out” to the staff at St. Ignatius High School, who “do as much as they can to help out with the process.” Kramer echoed that appreciation for all the county employees who lend a hand during elections. 

Since the school lunchroom serves as the polling place in St. Ignatius, students get a firsthand look at the election process. “I think that’s good for kids to see,” Turnage says.

He recalls his senior year at Polson High School, when then Sen. Max Baucus was in town and students met him at the Elks Club. “They brought us down, we got registered to vote, and I've voted in every election ever since,” Turnage recalls. “That's kind of a personal point of pride for me that I vote in everything I can.”

To sign up for judge training, stop by the election office or download an application from the website, www.lakemt.gov/408/Election-Judges. Applicants must be at least 18 and registered to vote in Lake County. 

Montana’s election administrators have put together brief videos about the various duties of election judges; those are also available on the website.