After hearing Sandra Merchant’s lame presentation last Friday, you probably thought things could not possibly get worse in the County Elections Office. Sorry to burst your bubble, but today things did get worse. 

If you visited or called the Elections Office today, Jan Wenaas may have greeted you with a friendly smile and twinkle in her eye.  She’s happy to have infiltrated the Elections Office camp, working behind the scenes as a self-proclaimed volunteer for Sandra Merchant. So, why is that a problem? 

First, Wenaas is the face of Cascade County’s far-right “Election Integrity” committee, those pesky election deniers who believe the 2020 election was stolen, despite nearly 60 lawsuits whose outcomes proved otherwise. Yes, Wenaas believes The Big Lie; the same lie that MyPillow CEO, Mike Lindell, has been spouting and several Montana legislators have bought into – Steve and Lola Galloway, and Steve Gist to name a few.  

In fact, Wenaas was instrumental arranging the bogus dog-and-pony show last year bringing State Senator Theresa Manzella of Ravalli County and her entourage of election deniers to Great Falls, including some dude from Colorado who claims he witnessed first-hand election malfeasance in his state. Their presentation contended vote count machines results are intercepted by Venezuelans, and the election outcomes changed at the blink of an eye. Wait, what?? 

Finally, Wenaas signed onto a petition sent to then County Commissioners Briggs, Larson and Ryan calling for them to immediately do among other things, the following:

• Ban mail-in ballots except for overseas military, disabled or other qualified persons 
• Ballot turn in on election day only, with one day counting
• Clean voter roles by requiring all qualified county residents to re-register

OMG, why is a woman who clearly does not believe in the state’s voting process sitting in front of a county computer at a desk in the Elections Office? So what that she’s a volunteer.  She has access to the county phones.  Does she also have access to voter registrations? Is she going to be handling ballots – those horrible mail ballots she believes the county should discontinue?  Why is a volunteer working in the sacred space of the Elections Office, anyway?

Shocked yet?  If so, tell your county commissioners: 

[email protected]

[email protected]

Don’t waste your time contacting Commissioner Rae Grulkowski, newly dubbed by many county citizens as Sandra Merchant’s handler.  Probably not worth your time to question the Elections Office self-proclaimed protector. And what’s up with that?

Maybe let Eric Bryson, Executive Director of the Montana Association of Counties, know you are concerned at: [email protected] 
Next thing you know, Merchant will be telling us the vote counting machines don’t work, and everything needs to be hand counted.  Stranger things have happened, or shall we say, are happening.