Voters in the Seeley-Swan and Potomac Valleys will have an uncontested race on their primary ballots that they are unable to vote in — for Public Service Commission District 4. This is due to a proofing error missed by both the state and the county that impacted about 17,000 ballots in the northeastern part of Missoula County.
After the most recent redistricting cycle, voters in these valleys were reassigned to PSC District 5, not 4. PSC District 5 is not up for election this year and the election in District 4 is uncontested across the four parties, which means the error will not impact the primary election, according to a release from the county elections office.
The Missoula County Elections Office will not be counting votes in this race and the outcome will have no impact on the election since the races in district four are uncontested and district five didn’t have a race to begin with. The elections office will program the ballot counting machines to make sure that the race will not be counted regardless, according to a release from the office.
“I live and breathe elections, and stuff like this still throws me for a loop,” Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman said.
Voters can attend a voting equipment testing observation on May 28 at 9:45 a.m. at the Missoula County Elections Office located at 140 North Russell Street in Missoula to learn more or can call Seaman at 406-258-4751.
Seaman encouraged voters to check myvoterpagemt.com to check on voter registration, track mailed ballots and locate polling places.
Perfectly competent at too many things
Keely's journalism career started with staff positions at the Lone Peak Lookout and The Madisonian in southwest Montana and freelancing for Dance Spirit Magazine.
In 2023, she completed a legislative reporting fellowship with KFF Health News during Montana's 68th legislative session and graduated with an MA in Environmental Journalism from the University of Montana. Keely completed a summer fire reporting internship with Montana Free Press in 2022.
Her bylines include Scientific American, Modern Farmer, U.S. News & World Report, CBS News, The New Republic, KFF Health News, Montana Free Press, Ars Technica, Mountain Journal and Outside Business Journal.
She also is a producer and editor for a Montana Public Radio podcast.
Keely received her undergraduate degrees in History and Religious Studies from Montana State University in 2017.
In her spare time, she's dancing, drinking processo and running around the mountains.
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