Representative David Beatty, sponsor of House Bill 125, told the House State Administration Committee the bill would allow a county election administrator conducting a school-district election to staff that election with any trained, certified election judge in the county who is not ineligible under MCA 20-20-109(2), rather than being limited to judges who reside inside the district.

“The purpose of this bill is to increase the size of the pool of qualified election judges who are able to help conduct school district elections,” Beatty said during the hearing.

Regina Plettenberg, representing the Montana Association of County Clerks and Recorders, testified the association requested the change and that many counties already use a countywide roster of trained judges to run multiple school elections. “This just makes it easier so that we can use those judges that we have that are trained and able to do that counting,” Plettenberg said, adding she expects a minor amendment to address districts that cross county lines.

Nicole Thuot, data manager and election specialist for the Office of Public Instruction, provided informational testimony and answered committee questions but did not make a recommendation.

Committee members asked how the bill would interact with existing practice. Representative Byrne clarified that, by default, a school district runs its own election unless it contracts an election administrator (EA) — and that the change applies only when the county EA agrees to run the election. Plettenberg confirmed that schools can contract with the county to run elections and that this bill would permit those EAs to use trained judges from across the county rather than requiring judges to live in the school district.

No formal vote on House Bill 125 was recorded during the hearing.

The committee heard the bill, received proponent testimony from county clerks’ association representatives and an informational witness from the Office of Public Instruction, and took questions from members before moving on to other agenda items.