Cascade County commissioners chose a new election administrator Thursday.
Commissioners unanimously selected former Great Falls Association of Realtors CEO Terry Thompson to manage Cascade County’s elections. Thompson served terms on a neighborhood council in Great Falls and unsuccessfully ran for city council in 2020.
Other candidates for the job included a former Democratic clerk and recorder and their deputy administrator. Thompson was the only candidate with no experience working in an elections office. She pitched herself to commissioners during her interview as a problem-solver and quick learner.
Commissioner Rae Grulkowski said she was pleased with the panel’s decision, which came after months of tumultuous public meetings focused on stabilizing the county’s elections office.
“I’m excited for our future,” Grulkowski said. “I’d like to have things calm down and get to work on a very heavy election year.”
Public commenters were largely supportive of the commissioners’ choice.
Thompson will fill the nonpartisan administrator role previously held by current Republican county Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant. Commissioners removed election management duties from Merchant’s office in December following a series of elections that drew allegations of mistakes and misconduct.
The next election on Cascade County’s calendar is a school election in May.
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Great Falls Public Schools’ trustees are asking Cascade County commissioners to take over election duties from the clerk and recorder’s office. The trustees cite a strained relationship with Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant, as well as concerns over her handling of the school election in May.
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Voters in Great Falls went to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to increase taxpayer funding for the Great Falls Public Library. The vote is a test of the new county clerk and recorder's ability to hold an error-free election.
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Four county residents filed a lawsuit May 26 alleging that Sandra Merchant mailed ballots for a May 2 irrigation district election after a legal deadline had passed and failed to provide signature and secrecy envelopes.
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A Cascade County judge has appointed a monitor for an upcoming local election, agreeing the county election office needs more oversight after allegations of recent errors.
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Cascade County District Court says it will consider a request from the Great Falls Public Library to appoint a monitor for the library’s upcoming mill levy election.
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The Great Falls Public Library Wednesday asked a court to appoint a monitor to ensure its upcoming mill levy election is secure and valid.
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A citizen committee in Cascade County filed a complaint with the state’s top political watchdog alleging ethics violations in the county’s election’s office.
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A group of Cascade County residents, including a former county commissioner, announced the formation of an ad-hoc committee to monitor upcoming special elections. The committee formed after the Cascade County elections administrator last month said her office would face difficulty administering five upcoming special elections.