Montana Code 13-13-120. Poll watchers — announcement of elector’s name — poll watchers authorized at places of deposit in mail ballot elections
13-13-120. Poll watchers — announcement of elector‘s name — poll watchers authorized at places of deposit in mail ballot elections. (1) The election judges shall permit one poll watcher from each political party to be stationed close to the poll lists in a location that does not interfere with the election procedures. At the time when each elector signs the elector’s name, one of the election judges shall pronounce the name loud enough to be heard by the poll watchers. A poll watcher who does not understand the pronunciation has the right to request that the judge repeat the name. Poll watchers must also be permitted to observe all of the vote counting procedures of the judges after the closing of the polls and all entries of the results of the elections.
Terms Used In Montana Code 13-13-120
- Ballot: means a paper ballot counted manually or a paper ballot counted by a machine, such as an optical scan system or other technology that automatically tabulates votes cast by processing the paper ballots. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Candidate: means :
(a)an individual who has filed a declaration or petition for nomination, acceptance of nomination, or appointment as a candidate for public office as required by law;
(b)for the purposes of chapter 35, 36, or 37, an individual who has solicited or received and retained contributions, made expenditures, or given consent to an individual, organization, political party, or committee to solicit or receive and retain contributions or make expenditures on the individual's behalf to secure nomination or election to any office at any time, whether or not the office for which the individual will seek nomination or election is known when the:
(i)solicitation is made;
(ii)contribution is received and retained; or
(iii)expenditure is made; or
(c)an officeholder who is the subject of a recall election. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Election: means a general, special, or primary election held pursuant to the requirements of state law, regardless of the time or purpose. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Elector: means an individual qualified to vote under state law. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Mail ballot election: means any election that is conducted under Title 13, chapter 19, by mailing ballots to all active electors. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Place of deposit: means a location designated by the election administrator pursuant to 13-19-307 for a mail ballot election conducted under Title 13, chapter 19. See Montana Code 13-1-101
(2)A candidate may not serve as a poll watcher at a polling place where electors are voting on ballots with the candidate’s name on them.
(3)At least one poll watcher from each political party must be permitted at each place of deposit designated under 13-19-307 for a mail ballot election.