We are gathering information from all statewide candidates as a resource for the 2024 Primary Elections. Responses were limited to 200 words per question. Political attacks may have been removed, but otherwise, the responses are published unedited.
jWhat's Your full name, as it will appear on the ballot?
Christi Jacobsen
What is your age?
48
Where do you live?
Helena MT
What is your education background?
Capital High School, 1993Carroll College, BA 1997 University of Montana, MPA 2000
Please list your current and previous occupations.
I’m Montana’s 22nd Secretary of State. My career spans 24 years including executive leadership positions, Deputy Secretary of State, COO of Department of Justice, along with being a small business owner, and earlier in my career customer service in the telecom industry.
What motivated you to seek the office of Secretary of State?
As a fourth generation Montanan, and the current Secretary of State, I’m motivated to seek re-election because I love Montana with all my heart and desire to serve.
What experience do you have in overseeing elections, interpreting election laws, and maintaining public records?
As Montana’s Chief Election Officer and Chief Deputy, I have nearly a decade of experience overseeing Montana’s elections and navigating our state through one of the most turbulent times in election law interpretation in state history. On the public record front, I saved the state millions [EDITOR'S NOTE: MTPR was not able to verify this claim.] by eliminating outdated record preservation formats and modernized the office from microfilm to the digital age, creating a model that was replicated by Secretary of State’s around the country. I intend to continue nationally leading with the support of an amazing team in both areas during my second term.
How would you ensure all Montanans have equal access and opportunity to participate in our elections?
As Montana’s Chief Election Officer, I have attacked head-on access obstacles to participating in elections. For instance, I proposed registration reform measures and implemented line-management strategies to address the number one impediment to participation that has been identified—long lines—in a big way.
My legislation to clean voter rolls annually has reduced the number of undeliverable ballots by thousands, ensuring the right ballot gets to the right voter, thereby enabling access in addition to integrity and good governance. Although enjoined by the Court, my Voter Identification package eliminated the number one barrier identified by the Tribal Relations Committee to improve equal access by tribal voters—changing tribal identification requirements. During my first term, the Secretary of State’s Office conducted more voter outreach than ever before in history. [EDITOR'S NOTE: MTPR was not able to verify this claim.]
These are just a few ways I have worked to ensure all Montanans have robust access to voting, among others.
Do you support ID requirements for in-person voting and why or why not?
As the Secretary of State, I support the will of the people who made my marching orders very clear from the beginning: voter ID at the polls. This commonsense policy has non-partisan support and is wildly popular amongst Montanans. If you need an ID to fly on an airplane, obtain a library card, hunt or fish, you need an ID to vote.
What changes, if any, should be made to Montana’s election laws?
As Montana’s Secretary of State, I am proud of our work to ensure Montana’s elections are secure and accessible. However, there is always room for improvement. Montana needs a meaningful voter identification requirement, and my commitment to that goal has not wavered.
Several overlapping deadlines lead to administrative and taxpayer dollars being unnecessarily wasted, which could be improved in a meaningful and bipartisan way. Synchronization with modern vital statistics databases has the capacity to more quickly remove our deceased loved ones from the voter rolls compared to the current outdated process. These are a few examples of legislation that I am looking at during my second term.
What would be your top three goals if elected?
As the Secretary of State, my goals are to support free enterprise and have government get out of the way so businesses can thrive, be the model for running free and fair elections for rest of the Country and lead the most highly engaged workforce.
What should the state Land Board prioritize as it manages state trust lands?
The priorities are set forth in the Constitution, to maximize our resources in raising money to fund our schools. My interest in responsible use of our natural resources –protecting Montana’s way of life, as well as expanding public land and public and access opportunities