Phil Drake

pdrake@greatfallstribune.com

HELENA – The head of the state Republican Party has come out against a mail ballot bill for a special election to replace a seat expected to vacated by Montana’s lone congressman, saying they give Democrats an inherent advantage.

His comments prompted a strong response from some election and county officials, one of whom called his remarks “a sad chapter in the history of the Republican Party.”

Rep. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, chairman of the Montana Republican Party wrote Tuesday in an email to fellow Republicans that while he believed it Senate Bill 305 was introduced on behalf of many county commissioners who want to reduce the cost of a special election to replace Rep. Ryan Zinke, the bill will have long-term negative impacts to the future election prospects of Republicans at all levels in Montana.

Zinke is soon expected to be confirmed to be the secretary of the interior in the Cabinet of President Donald Trump. Once that occurs, Gov. Steve Bullock will call a special election within 100 days.

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Essmann said Democrats would have an “inherent advantage due to their ability to organize large numbers of unpaid college students and members of public employee unions to gather ballots by going door to door.”

SB 305, sponsored by fellow Republican Steve Fitzpatrick, a senator from Great Falls, has been described as a one-time exception to do a federal election by mail ballot. The Montana Association of Clerks and Recorders, requested the mail ballots for the special election and said the $3 million spent on the Nov. 8 general election was the most expensive statewide election on record.

Fitzpatrick denied his bill would favor Democrats and said he met with several lawmakers Wednesday morning to discuss the bill.

He said the results show there is no correlation that mail ballots bring better results for Democrats.

Fitzpatrick noted that Republicans had big wins of major seats in November. They retain majorities in the House and Senate and won many statewide seats.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the bill remained with the state Senate Administration Committee.

Earlier this year, Secretary of State Corey Stapleton estimated a special election would cost $2 million.

Lewis and Clark County Commissioner Susan Good-Giese called Essmann’s remarks a “sad chapter in the history of the Republican Party.”

“As Republicans, we stand for fiscal conservatism and SB 305 allows us to spend considerably less on this unbudgeted, unanticipated special federal election,” she said via email. “I don’t think people realize that the cost of running elections is borne entirely by counties, using property tax revenues.”

Essmann said he expected some opposition from within the party.

“I know that my position will not be popular with many fiscally conservative Republican County commissioners or the sponsor of HB 305,” he wrote. “They may be well intended, but this bill could be the death of our effort to make Montana a reliably Republican state.”

“It is my job to remind us all of the long term strategic advantage that passage of this bill would provide to our Democrat opponents for control of our legislature and our statewide elected positions,” he wrote.

Cascade County estimates it would cost $145,000 or more to do the election by polling place and counties, which did not budget for the cost, would be responsible for funding, officials said. By doing mail-in ballots, it will cost the county $65,000-$70,000.

The elections will be funded by taxpayers, officials said

Essmann may find some support on the other side of the aisle as Rep. Sharon Stewart-Peregoy, D-Crow Agency, told members of the Senate State Administration Committee on Monday during a hearing of SB 305 that the bill was another example of suppressing the Native American vote.

Stewart-Peregoy said tribes have undergone litigation with counties in order to get equal access to the polls through satellite offices. She feared it would not be fair to people who live on reservations who vote at those satellite offices.

Fitzpatrick said and amendment had been added that ensured that any settlement between tribes and the Voting Rights Act would be honored.