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Update: Yellowstone County to start reporting ballots by midnight

Results 'coming as soon as possible'
Ballot Counting
Posted at 10:27 PM, Nov 08, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-09 01:39:47-05

Update 11:30 p.m.

Yellowstone County officials say they hope to transmit county results to the Montana Secretary of State's Office by midnight.

Interim Elections Administrator Kevin Gillen cited the bad weather as a reason for the delay, adding that ballot counters are "cookin'."



BILLINGS — Elections officials with the Yellowstone County Elections Office are reporting a delay in process ballots as a new elections administrator transitions into leading the office.

Yellowstone County is historically among the first large Montana counties to report election results. No results have been reported two hours after the polls close.

The ballot counting process is a heavy lift, with lots of volunteers needed.

A GOP poll watcher, Peggy Miller, told MTN ballots are not yet being counted, as of 10:15 p.m.

In addition, the new County Elections Administrator, Ginger Aldrich, is transitioning into the role this midterm. Yellowstone County's longtime elections administrator, Bret Rutherford, resigned this fall.

“I had been a legislative attorney for the past 10 years, and one of my topic areas that I deal with specifically is elections. And I'm also from Yellowstone County, originally born and raised here. So it is really exciting to be able to come back home to Billings and service the election administrator," Aldrich said.

Elections officials say results will be posted as soon as possible.

Other larger counties in Montana, including Cascade and Missoula, also have have not reported any results as of 10:15.