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County Voting Systems

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Montana’s paper ballots may be counted in two ways: hand count or with paper ballot optical or digital scan tabulators.  Either way ALL Montanans vote on a paper ballot.  Following is a list of the voting systems being used, by county.

Paper Ballot Tabulators

Model 650 (optical scan), DS850 (digital scan), DS450 (digital scan), and DS950 (digital scan) are central count tabulators; Model 100 (optical scan) and DS200 (digital scan) are precinct-level tabulators.  Tabulators are not connected to the Internet.

Counties conduct a public test of tabulators before each primary and general election. Additionally, a random test is conducted on election day.  A Post-Election Audit is conducted by each county that uses tabulators after federal elections. The post-election audit consists of a hand-count of randomly selected contests and precincts.

See the table below to view which method of paper ballot tabulation is used in each county.

CountyBallot Tabulation Method(s)
BeaverheadES&S DS450
Big HornES&S DS850
BlaineES&S DS450
BroadwaterES&S DS200
CarbonES&S DS200
CarterES&S DS200
CascadeES&S DS850
ChouteauES&S DS200
CusterES&S DS200
DanielsHand Count Paper Ballots
DawsonES&S DS200
Deer LodgeES&S DS450
FallonHand Count Paper Ballots
FergusES&S Model 450
FlatheadES&S DS850
GallatinES&S DS850
GarfieldHand Count Paper Ballots
GlacierES&S DS200
Golden ValleyHand Count Paper Ballots
GraniteES&S DS450
HillES&S DS450
JeffersonES&S DS450
Judith BasinES&S DS200
LakeES&S DS450
Lewis and ClarkES&S DS850
LibertyES&S DS200
LincolnES&S DS450
MadisonES&S DS450
McConeHand Count Paper Ballots
MeagherHand Count Paper Ballots
MineralES&S DS200
MissoulaES&S DS850
MusselshellES&S DS200
ParkES&S DS450
PetroleumES&S DS200
PhillipsES&S DS200
PonderaES&S DS200
Powder RiverHand Count Paper Ballots
PowellES&S DS450
PrairieHand Count Paper Ballots
RavalliES&S DS850
RichlandES&S DS450
RooseveltES&S DS450
RosebudES&S DS200
SandersES&S DS850
SheridanES&S DS200
Silver BowES&S DS850/DS450
StillwaterES&S DS200
Sweet GrassES&S DS200
TetonES&S DS200
TooleES&S DS200
TreasureHand Count Paper Ballots
ValleyES&S DS200
WheatlandHand Count Paper Ballots
WibauxES&S DS200
YellowstoneES&S DS850