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HELENA, Mont. — Montana has won a national award for election integrity.
Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen proudly announced that Montana received the 2025 National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) Innovators Award. Secretary Jacobsen’s “Death of a Loved One” initiative was recognized and honored during the 2025 NASED Summer Conference in Oklahoma City.
Earlier this year, election workers and funeral directors joined Secretary Jacobsen at the Montana State Capitol to celebrate the “Death of a Loved One” initiative’s filing into Montana law. The project, which included House Bill 248, sponsored by Rep. Braxton Mitchell (R-Columbia Falls), simplifies and eases the process for a family to remove a deceased loved one from Montana’s voter rolls. It allows families to cancel a loved one’s voter registration with an obituary published by a funeral home, media organization, or other entity.
Secretary Jacobsen also established partnerships and collaborations with Montana’s funeral home leaders, creating a brochure that families receive as part of their grievance packet from the funeral home. The brochure gives families simple instructions on how to cancel a loved one’s Montana voter registration.
“Our goal through my ‘Death of a Loved One’ initiative was to balance the important task of voter list maintenance with a compassionate and accessible experience for families struggling with the loss of a loved one,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “We’re grateful to be recognized with the 2025 NASED Innovators Award, which signifies our commitment to serving our Montana voters.”
“Secretary Jacobsen was proud to partner with the Montana Funeral Directors Association to create a meaningful impact by supporting families during the challenging time of losing a loved one,” added Elections Director Austin James. “The Secretary aimed to provide a simple and gracious way to support families during their grief, and we’re pleased that our brochure and legislative changes made this possible.”
Funeral homes across Montana have requested the brochure to include in their grievance packets, and the Montana Funeral Directors Association shared their gratitude for the partnership earlier this year: “We are thankful to Secretary of State Jacobsen and election officials across the state for the partnership. Our members have found Secretary Jacobsen’s brochure extremely helpful in providing information to families.”
The NASED Innovators Award highlights innovative training procedures, technologies, partnerships, and practices from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. Under Secretary Jacobsen’s leadership, Montana was named the recipient of the award for the first time.
