For immediate release: April 16, 2024
Media contacts:
Eric Semerad, Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder/Election Administrator
406-582-3054
eric.semerad@gallatin.mt.gov
Lacy Clark, Bozeman School District Director of Business Services/District Clerk
406-522-6045
lacy.clark@bsd7.org
Printing Error on Bozeman Elementary School District Ballot
School and special district ballots will be mailed to Gallatin County voters on Friday, April 19. Included in those ballots will be Bozeman Elementary and High School District trustee races.
The uncontested Bozeman High School District trustee race was accidentally included on Bozeman Elementary School District ballots. Elementary District voters do not vote on the school district’s position designated as the high school trustee since that position is elected to represent the rural schools of the high school district.
All voters in the Bozeman School District will see this high school race on the ballot with filed candidate Sandra Wilson and a write-in line on all ballots, even those in the Bozeman Elementary District, who would not normally vote on this position. Sandra Wilson is the only filed candidate, is running unopposed and will be elected regardless. There are no filed write-in candidates for this election, which means that write-in names will not be tallied this election.
Elections results can be certified accurately by separating erroneous votes for this race to provide proper totals.
Over 35,000 ballots had already been printed and prepped for mailing by the time the error was discovered. Therefore, both Gallatin County Elections and the Bozeman School District decided to move forward with the error on the ballot because it was too late to reprint them and ensure that voters receive their ballots in a timely manner.
This error will not affect the outcome of the election in any way.
We apologize for any confusion for the voters in the Bozeman School District.
The May 7 school and special district election is mail-ballot election. Active registered voters who live in districts that are holding elections will receive their ballots this weekend or early next week. Ballots must be returned by 8 PM on Election Day on Tuesday, May 7.
For more information on this election, visit www.GallatinVotes.com.
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