A Montana Democratic operative was caught tampering with a ballot box.
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Video does not show ballot box tampering in Glacier County, Montana
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- The Glacier County sheriff's office investigated an incident in which a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee employee was videotaped appearing to tug at a ballot box. It found the incident "does not constitute a legitimate attempt to tamper with the ballot box."
Ballot drop boxes became highly scrutinized in the 2020 presidential election, and as Election Day nears, claims about them have resurfaced.
"Montana Dem operative caught tampering with ballot box," a headline, shared Oct. 23 on Facebook from the conservative news website The Daily Wire, read.
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A ballot box incident was investigated in Glacier County, Montana, but county officials found that tampering did not happen.
The Facebook post includes a link to an Oct. 23 Daily Wire article that says a "Democrat operative" named Laszlo Gendler was videotaped appearing to try to tear a ballot box off a wall.
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In the video, Gendler, a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee employee, appears to pull on a ballot box in Browning, Montana, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
A Montana secretary of state spokesperson confirmed that the person in the video was Gendler and said the "suspect’s name and details were turned over to Glacier County law enforcement." The spokesperson forwarded an email to PolitiFact from Crystal Cole, Glacier County’s election administrator, which said Laslo told her he was sent to check how secure the ballot box was. Cole’s email said the Montana Democrat Party had not notified the election office it would be sending someone to check the ballot box.
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Glacier County’s attorney, Terryl Matt, said in an emailed statement to PolitiFact, "After a review of the evidence, including the footage, we have determined that the issue is unsubstantiated. The behavior captured in the video does not constitute a legitimate attempt to tamper with the ballot box or the electoral process."
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee removed Gendler from his position as a precautionary measure. Gendler was released from questioning and not charged with any crimes, news station KRTV in Great Falls, Montana, reported.
We rate the claim that a Montana Democratic operative was caught tampering with a ballot box False.
Our Sources
PolitiFact, Ballot drop boxes were popular in 2020. Then they became a GOP target, May 19, 2021
Facebook post (archived), Oct. 23, 2024
The Daily Wire (archived), Montana Dem Operative Caught Tampering With Ballot Box, Oct. 23, 2024
Email correspondence, Tom Seifert, undersheriff, Glacier County sheriff’s office, Oct. 29, 2024
Email correspondence, spokesperson, Montana secretary of state, Oct. 29, 2024
KRTV, Ballot box video in Glacier County stirs controversy, Oct. 24, 2024
Fox News, Surveillance footage at a Montana ballot box sparks ‘tampering’ concern from election administrator, Oct. 22, 2024
Open Secrets, Expenditures, 2024, July 16, 2024
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Video does not show ballot box tampering in Glacier County, Montana
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