Bipartisan forum to discuss election integrity

“Elections: Integrity and Involvement” will be the theme of a bipartisan forum Sunday, Jan. 14, from 2-4 p.m. at Paradise School in Paradise. The forum will feature three presenters from a broad spectrum of political backgrounds.

Jesse Mullen, Democratic candidate for Secretary of State, will report on the role of the SOS to continue to assure voters of the integrity of Montana's election process and the findings resulting from the Legislature’s 2023 Election Integrity Commission, which confirmed the integrity of Montana’s election process.

Frank Garner, four-term Republican state legislator and retired Kalispell police chief, will explain Constitutional Initiatives CI-126 and 127, proposed by Montanans for Election Reform, and how these would empower voter preferences over partisan politics.

political Independent Eric Buhler is executive director of Ranked Choice Voting Montana. He’ll explain what ranked choice voting (RCV) is, which states implement it, and how it could impact Montana’s elections.

This forum is sponsored by Sanders County Democrats and is free and open to the public. Mindy Ferrell, current county chair, said this is the first of a three-part bipartisan series that will “focus on issues that unite us, over political polarization and chaos.”

Ferrell will also explain how the recent redistricting will affect local voters, and encourage citizen participation in the election process.

According Ferrell, the annual series aims to “break through party politics and address issues that are critical to the well-being of our community and our state.”