Roy McKenzie
Roy McKenzie is the Publisher of Western Montana News, where he reports on local government, politics, and current events in Missoula County. His work includes coverage of local responses to key events, election integrity, and political developments shaping Western Montana.
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- Chaotic Scene at Butte St. Patrick’s Day Parade as Protester Disrupts Zinke Float
- Montana Democrats Share Photo of “Freezer Morgue” That’s Actually A Mobile MRI Unit, Hospital Says
- Montana Voting Software Linked to Chinese Data Leak Arrest
- 30 of 56 Montana Counties Including Missoula Granted Zuckerberg Money for Elections, Legislature Investigating
- UPDATED: School Board Notified of Inappropriate Sexual Orientation Questionnaire Distributed by Missoula Teacher
Secretary Jacobsen Leads Coalition Urging DHS to Fortify Voter Verification Systems
Proposed Reforms to Federal Database Aim to Streamline Citizenship Checks, Reduce Costs, and Close Election Security Gaps
Catalyst Montana Funding Prompts Calls for State Inquiry
According to publicly available grant data from USAID, the leftwing Montana Human Rights Network—rebranded Catalyst Montana—received 71% of its funding through taxpayer grants.
Missoula Legalizes Public Camping as Supreme Court Permits Bans
Missoula City Council legalized public camping just days before the Supreme Court ruled that cities can ban the practice, sparking debate on public safety policies.
Missoula Republican Chair Calls Police on Another Member
Missoula County Republican Central Committee Chair, Vondene Kopetski, called the police on yet another Republican during Tuesday night’s monthly Central Committee meeting. In 2021, Kopetski called the police on another individual at a committee meeting, a new member, claiming to police that the person had committed elder abuse because of a difference of opinion. Kopetski’s…
Montana DOJ Investigating Ballot Shredding in Carbon County
Video compiled and obtained through public records requests by citizens in Carbon County shows Elections Administrator Crystal Roascio shredding what appear to be tri-folded mail-in ballots on election night, November 8, 2022. Attorney for the county, Alex Nixon, confirmed the documents were votes, but claimed that Roascio was simply shredding “ballot copies” received by email…
ES&S Security Head “Can’t think of one” When Asked Reason Montana Election Records Switched Off
At the weekly Joint Select Committee on Election Security hearing last Thursday, ES&S Vice President of Security and Chief Information Officer Christopher Woloshin testified that he could not think of any reason why county and state officials were not collecting and making available vital election records known as Cast Vote Records (CVR) generated by the…
Montana Judge Blocks Vaccine Mandate Protections for Healthcare Workers
US District Judge for the State of Montana, Donald Molloy, made his preliminary injunction from March permanent against healthcare workers seeking protection from vaccine mandates through HB-702, the vaccine non-discrimination law. On Friday, Molloy ordered that the state cannot use provisions applied to Montana Code by HB-702 to defend the interests of Montana healthcare workers…
Yellowstone County Poll Watchers Share Irregularities During 2022 Vote Count
The following is a transcribed version of Yellowstone County poll watcher Skyler Kincaid’s public comment during the Yellowstone County Commissioners meeting on November 21st. In his statement, Kincaid summarizes his concerns about irregularities in the tabulation of election results and inconsistencies with the public comments made to the Montana media regarding the reason for result…
Election Software CEO Responds to Montana Secretary of State Inquiry
Votem, the election software company that administers Montana’s online voting portal for military service members and overseas citizens, responded to a letter from Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen asking about the nature of the company’s relationship with Konnech, Inc. and Eugene Yu. Western Montana News previously reported that Konnech CEO Eugene Yu was on the…
Montana Legislators Ask AG for Konnech Voting Software Halt Pending Investigation
Members of the Montana Legislature have signed a letter asking the Attorney General to conduct an investigation into Konnech, an elections software company that developed and operated the state’s online voting portal for military and overseas citizen voters, called the Montana Electronic Absentee System (EAS). The company’s ties with Montana go as far back as…
Montana Voting Software Linked to Chinese Data Leak Arrest
Update (Oct 14, 2022): Montana Legislators have requested that the Montana Attorney General open an investigation into Konnech and Konnech-related software applications in use by the State of Montana and a pause on any continued use of such software pending the completion of an investigation. Read more. Montana voting software that allows military, overseas citizens,…
Montana Democrats Abortion Privacy Defense Falls Flat After COVID Authoritarianism
After two years of Montana Democrats gleefully and vigorously advocating for the forced-masking and forced-vaccination of their fellow Montanans, their sudden defense of “health privacy” in service of codifying abortion into Montana law through judicial activism exposes not only their hypocrisy, but their ignorance. Prominent Montana Democrats including former elected Democrats and Democrat-aligned non-profits have…
Montana Media’s #HatchetGirls
Mainstream Montana journalists are growing harder and harder to distinguish from the rapid response communications teams of the Montana Democratic Party and the Democratic Party nationally. Self-described “journalists” Ashley Nerbovig and Skylar Rispens are the official #HatchetGirls of the Montana establishment media. Why is it that these alleged reporters cannot seem to quote conservatives without…
Second Montana County Votes to Reject 2020 Election Results Ahead of GOP Convention
The Lewis and Clark County Republican Central Committee passed a resolution Monday to reject the results of the 2020 Presidential election, the second Montana county to do so after Ravalli County Republicans passed a similar resolution last week. The text of the resolution cites solidarity with resolutions passed in Maricopa County, Arizona; Langlade County, Wisconsin;…
Ravalli Republicans Vote To Reject 2020 Election Results
The Ravalli County Republican Central Committee voted to adopt a resolution on Tuesday to reject the results of the 2020 election citing violations of state and federal law, documentary evidence of ballot trafficking, and a state legislative audit on the security and maintenance of Montana election systems that reported outdated voter rolls and a lack…
Montana DPHHS Should Keep Rule Barring Sex Change on Birth Certificate
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services allowed public comment today during a hearing where they considered keeping an emergency rule that bars individuals from changing their sex on their birth certificate while Senate Bill 280 is being challenged in court by the ACLU and other plaintiffs. SB 280, passed in the 2021…
Another Observer Comes Forward, Casting Doubt on Missoula’s Second Recount of Ballot Envelopes
In an affidavit signed by one observer of the second recount of affirmation envelopes (also known as ballot signature envelopes) from the Missoula County 2020 General Election, the observer stated they could not be sure that the envelopes that were counted were from the 2020 General Election. In an interview with Western Montana News, Mr.…
Jefferson County Attorney Steven Haddon Charges Voter for Signing Own Ballot Envelope
State and county officials continue to ramp up their attacks on Montana citizens who are seeking answers to questions about how elections are ran in their county. In the most recent instance, Jefferson County Attorney Steven Haddon coordinated with elections administrator County Clerk Ginger Kunz and Jefferson High School business manager Lori Carey to charge…