Voting chaos as state is forced to shut down electronic polling system after major candidate was left off

The authorities of Montana took its physics absentee voting strategy offline soon aft it went unrecorded erstwhile prospective voters discovered Kamala Harris wasn't connected the ballot.

While Harris is considered a terrible underdog successful Montana, Democrats are inactive hoping they tin voters to crook retired to save incumbent Senator Jon Tester against Donald Trump-endorsed Tim Sheehy.

Max Himsl, a elector surviving successful the United Kingdom, wanted to marque his prime erstwhile the ballots were online connected Friday astatine 8am. 

The ballot listed some Trump and the present retired of the contention autarkic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. but not the vice president.

Himsl said: 'I'm upset my antiauthoritarian process was interrupted'.

The Montana Secretary of State claims that the errors were lone recovered successful their online system.

'Our squad and the vendor rapidly investigated and recovered that lone a fewer voters whitethorn person been impacted,' the Secretary of State's Office told the Daily Inter Lake. 

'As a precaution, the Electronic Absentee System has been taken offline until troubleshooting is completed.' 

They promised that the strategy would beryllium backmost online soon aft they'd taken it down. 

The voters impacted volition beryllium allowed to implicit their ballots erstwhile it returns to functioning. 

'This does not impact immoderate different ballots, including those that volition beryllium sent by mail,' the Secretary of State's Office said.

Himsl, a first-time absentee voter, is disquieted astir what this acquisition mightiness mean for others. 

'This is precise concerning to me,' said Himsl.

Citizens surviving overseas, including members of the equipped forces, are allowed by instrumentality to ballot absentee successful elections. 

In Montana, a functioning absentee strategy allows them to ballot starting 45 days until Election Day.   

While Democrats aren't expected to travel adjacent successful the statesmanlike race, they're inactive hoping to support Tester successful the Senate. 

Cook Political Report rates Tester's contention a 'toss up,' and erstwhile President Donald Trump won Montana by much than 16 points successful 2020. 

Tester has held the Montana spot since 2007, successful a authorities that heavy backed Trump during the 2020 election.

Republicans spot the conflict arsenic important to their hopes of taking power of the Senate. 

They expect to prime up a spot successful West Virginia, wherever Democrat-turned-independent Joe Manchin is retiring, and request conscionable 1 much to unafraid a bulk successful the precocious chamber.

The effect is that millions of dollars is pouring into the conflict betwixt Tester and Sheehy, a erstwhile Navy SEAL. 

Latest run concern study amusement Tester has raised much than $43.7, a grounds amount, and 3 times much than helium had collected by this signifier successful his 2018 race.

Sheehy has raised $13.7 cardinal since entering the contention a twelvemonth ago.

The value of the contention volition beryllium connected afloat show connected Friday, erstwhile erstwhile President Donald Trump holds a rally successful enactment of Sheehy.

He won the authorities by much than 16 points successful 2020 and by much than 20 points implicit Hillary Clinton successful 2016.