The bill amends Section 13-10-311 of the Montana Code Annotated, which outlines the duties of election judges when preparing for the count of votes during primary elections. The key change involves the requirement for election judges in counties where ballots are counted solely by hand to separate and count the ballots for each political party separately, a practice that was previously deleted from the law. Additionally, the bill retains the existing responsibilities of election judges to reconcile the total number of party ballots and other ballots, list candidates separately in tally books, and bundle voted ballots for each party for return to the election administrator.

The bill is designed to clarify and enhance the procedures for counting votes in primary elections, ensuring that the process is transparent and organized. It also establishes an immediate effective date upon passage and approval, allowing for prompt implementation of these revised procedures.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 13-10-311
SB0498_1(1): 13-10-311
SB0498_1(2): 13-10-311
SB0498_1(3): 13-10-311
SB0498_1: 13-10-311