For the second time in a little more than a year, Lincoln County’s election administrator is on paid administrative leave.

While rumors circulated that Melanie Howell was placed on leave recently, county officials issued a news release following an inquiry by The Western News.

In a June 28 email from county administrator Matt Williams, the county confirmed Howell was placed on leave. The leave began Wednesday, June 24.

“The county has issued a formal due process notice outlining a number of work-related concerns,” Williams wrote in an email to The Western News. “This action is administrative in nature and does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing.”

Williams said in the email that a review of the matters identified in that notice is currently underway. The purpose of this process is to ensure that all relevant facts are evaluated in a fair and impartial manner and that appropriate due process is provided.

“The county has not established a definite timeline for completion and is proceeding deliberately to ensure that appropriate due process is afforded and that all relevant facts are appropriately evaluated,” Williams said. “As this is an active personnel matter, the county is limited in what it can disclose and will not comment on specific allegations or personnel details. This approach is consistent with Montana law and the county’s obligation to protect employee privacy while conducting a thorough review.

Attempts to speak with Howell were unsuccessful.

Williams said Deputy Election Administrator Sierra Gustin was not placed on leave and remains employed by the county.

Williams also said that county leadership has taken steps to maintain the continuity of Elections Office operations. Ensuring the integrity, security and orderly administration of elections remains a top priority.

He said the county will provide additional information if it becomes appropriate to do so.

Howell was hired to run the county election office in May 2023 following the resignation of Paula Buff. Buff and another election office employee resigned following heightened tensions between them and former County Commissioner Josh Letcher. Letcher alleged Buff falsified election documents at a March 1, 2023, commission meeting.

Buff later sued the county and the parties settled out of court. Buff then went to work in the election department in Flathead County. She was hired as the new election administrator at the end of 2025.

Howell’s first time on paid leave was Friday, March 31, 2025, a little more than a month before local school board elections.

County officials haven’t said why Howell was put on leave. After a one-month absence, she returned to work May 1, 2025, five days before the school trustee elections.

Howell’s time running the county’s elections has been somewhat chaotic. At a July 10, 2024, county commission meeting, she sought a split from the Clerk and Recorder’s Office, citing various reasons including election security and to avoid confusion for voters. 

But the commissioners voted against it during an Aug. 7, 2024 meeting.

Prior to the vote, deputy county attorney Jeff Zwang said there were a number of practical considerations. He said if the commissioners were going to supervise the Election Department, they would need to be trained and certified in elections. Zwang did express concern about a politically driven elected official overseeing elections.

During that meeting in August, both Brent Teske and Jim Hammons said they weren’t willing to oversee the elections department. Teske said fellow commissioner Josh Letcher, who wasn’t at the Aug. 7 meeting, was also opposed to the separation.

Voters were not pleased when Howell attempted to close ballot drop boxes in Troy and at the county sheriff’s office in Libby. She made the proposal at a Feb. 11, 2026, commission meeting. 

Troy mayor T.J. Boswell was opposed to removing the drop box in Troy. He cited calls from constituents, convenience for residents and 24/7 access. He also said the location is secure. Sheriff Darren Short said there hadn’t been any prior issues at the locations.

During Howell’s tenure, there have been multiple mistakes.

In the November 2023 general election, nearly 400 absentee ballots were sent to voters instructing them to choose one candidate for Eureka City Council. But there were two open seats. Howell confirmed to the Tobacco Valley News the mistake happened within the Election Department during the proofing process. She said her department received the correct information from Eureka and the printer was not responsible for the error.

More problems arose prior to the June 2, 2026 primary election.

Absentee voter packages were mailed May 8 to registered voters who requested them. It didn’t take long before multiple mistakes were discovered.

Those who received a ballot package from the department also received a note that instructed them to sign their ballot. Not only is the direction incorrect, but it raises the issues of revealing a voter’s identity and whether the ballot would be accepted.

Other mistakes have surfaced, including leaving ballots out of the mailed voter packets. Registered voters are supposed to receive ballots for the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian parties.

But some voters reported receiving ballot packages without all the ballots. In primary elections, registered voters may only vote within their party. For example, if a registered Republican voter receives a voter packet with three ballots, they are to vote only for Republican candidates. The other ballots are supposed to be thrown away.

Another prospective voter, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Western News that he received two voting packages in the mail, one each for he and his wife.

"The ballots I received were for registered Democrat or Libertarian voters, but I am a Republican, so I needed to come here to get the correct ballot," he said. "My wife is a registered Democrat, so hers were OK, but it makes you wonder what's going on.”

Another problem in the June 2, 2026, primary election came to light when Bill Cripe, a Yaak resident, posted at 8:47 p.m. Monday, June 1, on the Libby/Troy Community Connection Facebook page.

He made the following statement: “Wasn’t the Troy ballot drop box supposed to be open until 5 pm? Us and others were trying to drop and it’s locked. My understanding it locked at 3 pm?”

In Cripe’s post, a sheet of paper titled, “Additional Ballot Drop Locations” was shared. It was enclosed with the absentee ballot packs that were scheduled to be mailed to voters on May 8.

The sheet lists drop box locations at Eureka Dispatch, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in Libby, the Troy Police Department and the county Election Center in Libby. For the first three locations, it states the ballot drop boxes will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week through May 31, 2026, and closing at 5 p.m. on June 1, 2026.

But the resolution, 2026-09, that county commissioners Brent Teske, Jim Hammons and Noel Duram approved March 18, 2026, stated that ballot drop boxes at these locations, “shall be available 24 hours per day, seven days per week until Election Day and shall be closed on Election Day.”

"Resolution 2026-09 reflects the full intention of the Lincoln County Commission with respect to ballot drop box operating hours," county Public Administrator Matt Williams said in a statement to The Western News. "Upon reviewing the minutes and video footage of the public meetings at which this issue was discussed, there is no indication of any change in ballot drop box operating hours authorized by the Commission.

"The decision to deviate from the hours prescribed by Resolution 26-09 was made by the Election Administrator without the prior approval of the County Commission. It is important that the availability of ballot drop boxes be communicated plainly and clearly to the public. The county regrets that this did not happen, and the circumstances surrounding this failure remain under review," Williams said.

Howell is the fourth person to hold the election administrator title since 2020. Buff was on the job from 2021 to 2023. Before her, Chris Nelson served from August 2020 to November 2020.