KALISPELL — Kalispell municipal election ballots have been issued according to previous ward boundaries which means it could have potentially changed which candidate people could vote for.
However, the November 7, 2023, Kalispell municipal election will proceed as usual. The issue arose after the Kalispell City Council approved new ward boundaries in 2021. The data was not entered and transferred to a new system.
“I think it’s really important that people understand that we are absolutely committed to the process of this being right, whatever that means as we move forward, and we understand more about the process of the election. I think it's critically important that people understand this isn't fraudulent. I hear that word used a lot and used incorrectly. There is nothing fraudulent about what happened in this process. It clearly was an administrative error related to data entry or data entry not happening. So I just want to ensure people that elections are safe, we will walk this process out." - Flathead County Election Administrator Debbie Pierson
The election will go in front of the County Commissioners Board of Canvassers on November 21 where they will decide whether they accept the election and certify the candidates.
This error does not affect Columbia Falls or Whitefish.
We will continue to follow this story as it progresses.
