{"id":2338094,"date":"2024-09-06T17:58:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T21:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/montana-county-declares-wrong-winner-after-overcounting-votes\/"},"modified":"2024-09-06T18:03:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T22:03:13","slug":"montana-county-declares-wrong-winner-after-overcounting-votes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/montana-county-declares-wrong-winner-after-overcounting-votes\/","title":{"rendered":"Montana County Declares Wrong Winner After Overcounting Votes"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmontana-county-declares-wrong-winner-after-overcounting-votes%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2338094&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In Butte-Silver Bow County, Montana, \u2064a significant voting error occurred during a primary election where more than 1,000 ballots \u2064were overcounted, leading to the declaration of incorrect winners in\u200d crucial races. A post-canvassing audit prompted a recount, \u2063revealing that 1,131 \u2063votes \u2062counted exceeded the number of actual voters. Election\u200d officials suspect that \u2064the overcount was due to residual sample\u200c data in the voting\u200c software that was not cleared before Election Day.\u200d The county clerk, Linda Sajor-Joyce, could not account for 11 \u2063of the excess votes.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2063incident highlights \u2063the need for\u200c improved systems to detect such discrepancies early. In\u200c response, there have been calls for \u2064methods to ensure that the number \u200bof \u200cvotes counted aligns with the number of voters who \u2063participated. Similar\u2063 issues have been raised in other states, such as Georgia, where the State Election\u200d Board recently implemented a new\u2064 rule requiring that \u2062the counted votes must equal the ballots cast.\u2063 This rule is\u2062 part of broader efforts\u200d to enhance election integrity, following past \u200bincidents of double\u2063 counting in Fulton County during the 2020\u200b election. these developments stress the importance of accurate vote counting and robust election\u2062 oversight measures.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A Montana county declared the wrong winner in a race after overcounting votes.<\/p>\n<p>During a post-canvassing audit of the Butte-Silver Bow County primary that was held in June, election officials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kxlf.com\/news\/local-news\/primary-problem-butte-silver-bow-to-recount-ballots-from-june-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suspected<\/a> an overcount of more than 1,000 ballots, prompting a <a href=\"https:\/\/nbcmontana.com\/news\/local\/butte-election-head-test-data-caused-butte-primary-overcount\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">judge to order a recount<\/a>. The recount discovered that 1,131 more votes were counted than voters who voted. Data <a href=\"https:\/\/leg.mt.gov\/content\/Committees\/Interim\/2023-2024\/State-Administration-and-Veterans-Affairs\/Senate-Select-Elections\/1-Sept.3.24\/Staff-Spreadsheet-Silver-Bow-County-Primary-Recount-Comparison.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shows<\/a> a very similar number of votes in each precinct was overcounted.<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Election officials are not entirely sure what happened, though Butte-Silver Bow County Clerk and Recorder Linda Sajor-Joyce told leaders she believes the extra ballots were from sample data that had not been cleared from the software by Election Day, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ktvh.com\/news\/elections-committee-takes-closer-look-at-butte-recount\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">KTVH<\/a>. In total, Sajor-Joyce could not explain 11 of the overcounted votes, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/nbcmontana.com\/news\/local\/butte-election-head-test-data-caused-butte-primary-overcount\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NBC Montana<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As a result of the discrepancy, officials declared the wrong winner in a Republican precinct committeeman race and declared the wrong candidate to be the frontrunner in the race for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-group-launches-campaign-accusing-republicans-of-interfering-with-trump-criminal-cases\/\" title=\"Democratic group accuses GOP of meddling in Trump&#039;s criminal cases\">county attorney general<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Officials say the incident underscores the need for a way to catch such an issue earlier, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ktvh.com\/news\/elections-committee-takes-closer-look-at-butte-recount\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">KTVH<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But Republicans who have proposed methods to reconcile the number of votes counted with the number of voters who voted have run into opposition from Democrats, as is the case in Georgia.<\/p>\n<p>The Georgia State Election Board (SEB) recently approved <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-07\/notice_of_proposed_rulemaking_183_1_12_12a5_v2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rule 183-1-12-.12<\/a>, which requires precincts to ensure the number of votes counted equals the number of ballots cast. The rule requires that the &ldquo;hand count ballot totals&rdquo; match the &ldquo;numbers recorded on the precinct poll pads, ballot marking devices &hellip; and scanner recap forms.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Cobb County Republican Chairwoman Salleigh Grubbs told <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/16\/georgia-board-to-vote-on-requiring-number-of-ballots-cast-to-equal-number-of-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Federalist<\/a> the reconciliation process is like &ldquo;going to the bank and getting a deposit receipt. You just want to be sure that the number of bills you say are there are actually accounted for.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The SEB determined in May that Fulton County double-scanned more than 3,000 ballots during the 2020 election, a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/21\/ga-attorney-general-says-his-office-wont-investigate-fulton-county-over-its-illegal-2020-conduct\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">violation of the law<\/a>.&nbsp;Kevin Moncla, who filed a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/voterga.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2023-025-Counting-Complaint.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">complaint<\/a>&nbsp;against the county, tells The Federalist the ballots were also double-counted since they appeared in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/16\/georgia-board-to-vote-on-requiring-number-of-ballots-cast-to-equal-number-of-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cast vote record<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The board also <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/08\/georgia-elections-board-confirms-officials-right-to-reasonable-inquiry-before-certifying-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">approved<\/a> a separate rule, <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-07\/Notice%20of%20Proposed%20Rulemaking%20-%20183-1-12-.02.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rule 183-1-12-.02<\/a>, which clarifies that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-kraken-released-attorney-sidney-powell-files-104-page-bombshell-complaint-of-massive-fraud-in-georgia-election-update-michigan-too\/\" title=\"BREAKING: KRAKEN RELEASED! Attorney Sidney Powell Files 104 Page BOMBSHELL COMPLAINT of Massive Fraud in Georgia Election - Update: Michigan too\">county election boards<\/a> have the right to make &ldquo;reasonable inquiry that the tabulation and canvassing of the election are complete and accurate&rdquo; before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-democrats-look-to-fund-effort-to-elect-local-election-supervisors\/\" title=\"Report: Democrats Look to Fund Effort to Elect Local Election Supervisors\">certifying election results<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia statute already&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/codes\/georgia\/title-21\/chapter-2\/article-12\/section-21-2-493\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stipulated<\/a>&nbsp;that should the &ldquo;total vote returned&rdquo; exceed the number of voters recorded, the &ldquo;excess shall be deemed a discrepancy and palpable error and shall be investigated by the superintendent&rdquo; before certification. The new rules create a uniform process for counties to follow.<\/p>\n<p>Yet Democrats, backed by election meddler&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/marceelias\/status\/1830277768048726200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marc Elias<\/a>, the Democratic National Committee, and Vice President Kamala Harris&rsquo; presidential&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/republican-backed-georgia-rules-risk-undermining-election-certification-critics-say\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">campaign<\/a>, are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/28\/dems-want-ga-county-officials-to-rubber-stamp-elections-no-questions-asked-dnc-suit-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suing<\/a>&nbsp;the board over these rules. The attack is part of a nationwide pressure campaign by left-wing activists and their media&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/02\/left-wing-media-malign-ga-election-rules-in-bid-to-make-certification-nothing-more-than-a-rubber-stamp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allies<\/a>&nbsp;to force election officials to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-threaten-gop-officials-into-certifying-elections-or-else\/\" title=\"Dems Threaten GOP Officials Into Certifying Elections Or Else\">rubber-stamp election results<\/a> without asking questions like: Does the number of voters recorded equal the number of ballots?<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A county in Montana mistakenly announced the incorrect winner of a race due to an overcount of votes. Following a post-canvassing audit of the Butte-Silver Bow County primary held in June, election officials raised concerns about an excess count exceeding 1,000 ballots, leading a judge to mandate a recount. The recount revealed that 1,131 more votes were recorded than there were voters who participated. Data indicated that similar overcounts occurred across various precincts.<\/p>\n<p>Election officials are uncertain about the cause of this discrepancy; however, Butte-Silver Bow County Clerk and Recorder Linda Sajor-Joyce suggested that the additional ballots may have originated from sample data not cleared from the software by Election Day, as reported by KTVH. Sajor-Joyce was unable to account for 11 of the overcounted votes according to NBC Montana.<\/p>\n<p>As a consequence of this error, officials declared an incorrect winner in a Republican precinct committeeman race and misidentified the leading candidate for county attorney general. Officials emphasized that this incident highlights the necessity for improved methods to detect such issues earlier on.<\/p>\n<p>In Georgia, Republicans advocating for measures to align counted votes with actual voter turnout have faced resistance from Democrats. Recently, Georgia&#8217;s State Election Board (SEB) approved Rule 183-1-12-.12 requiring precincts to ensure that vote counts match ballot totals cast. This rule mandates consistency between &#8220;hand count ballot totals&#8221; and figures recorded on poll pads and scanner recap forms.<\/p>\n<p>Cobb County Republican Chairwoman Salleigh Grubbs likened this reconciliation process to verifying bank deposits\u2014ensuring all counted bills are accounted for accurately.<\/p>\n<p>In May, it was determined by SEB that Fulton County had double-scanned over 3,000 ballots during the 2020 election\u2014a legal violation noted by Kevin Moncla who filed a complaint regarding double-counting as well since these appeared in official records.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, another rule (Rule 183-1-12-.02) was approved clarifying that county election boards can conduct reasonable inquiries into ensuring accurate tabulation before certifying results. Existing Georgia law already required investigation if total returned votes exceeded recorded voters; these new rules aim at standardizing procedures across counties.<\/p>\n<p>However, Democrats\u2014supported by election activist Marc Elias and Vice President Kamala Harris\u2019 presidential campaign\u2014are suing against these regulations as part of broader efforts by left-wing activists and media allies aimed at pressuring election officials into certifying results without scrutinizing discrepancies like matching voter counts with ballot totals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2338095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1280px-Vote_Here_-_Election_Polling_Place_50565230221-3-e1725650022336.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6733,3728,8605,40346,4351],"class_list":["post-2338094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-controversy","tag-election","tag-montana","tag-overcounting","tag-voting"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1280px-Vote_Here_-_Election_Polling_Place_50565230221-3-e1725650022336.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2338094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338094\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2338095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2338094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2338094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2338094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}