HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen is proud to announce that the state of Montana was selected to participate in a first-of-its-kind pilot program with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to ensure the state’s voter rolls are accurate and up to date. Montana was one of only a few states that qualified for the program.
The pilot program will allow the Secretary of State’s Office to use innovative technology from credit reporting data to identify voters who may have moved, allowing election officials to assist in updating their voter registration information.
Upon taking office in 2021, Secretary Jacobsen joined state and local election officials in reminding Montana voters to update their voter registration information after they move or change their name. The Secretary has utilized public service announcements, social media, and other forms of public outreach to promote Montana’s one-stop shop for voter resources, VoteMT.gov.
Now, Montana election officials will receive another resource to provide correspondence to voters who may need to update their voter registration information. Through the EAC pilot program, Montana election officials will be able to utilize information from the private sector to ensure voters’ information is up to date.
“Montana leads the way in providing safe, secure, transparent, and accessible elections for our voters,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “When I learned of the staggering amount of undeliverable ballots during the 2020 elections, we immediately got to work to improve how Montana cleans its voter rolls. Through Senate Bill 170 (2021 Legislature), which required county election administrators to review and maintain their voter registration list annually, as well as this pilot project, we are getting the job done.
“This pilot program will allow Montana to further improve voter registration maintenance and provide accurate name and address information. An updated voter registration list is a nonpartisan tool to ensure election integrity, and our office is proud to support these efforts.”
According to the EAC, “Maintaining an accurate voter registration list is essential to protecting election integrity. Americans deserve an election system that produces an accurate result based on each eligible voter casting a single ballot in their proper jurisdiction. Maintaining an accurate voter list benefits voters because it lowers the likelihood of lines at the polls, reduces voter confusion, and decreases the number of provisional ballots. Updated records also allow election administrators to plan, better manage their budgets and poll workers, and improve voter experience.”
The Montana Secretary of State’s Office is proud to be a national leader in protecting election integrity, improving voters’ confidence, and increasing efficiency for state and local election officials. The Secretary of State’s Office will have more information on this exciting advancement in election integrity in the near future.
