Tim McKenrick, a candidate in the Republican primary election for state House District 75, has been charged with deceptive election practices, a felony, after allegedly submitting a ballot with a falsified signature. The candidate claimed he falsified the signature to “test the system,” according to charging documents.
The single felony count, filed in Jefferson County Fifth District Court on May 26, carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in state prison and a $50,000 fine. McKenrick, who lives outside Boulder on Depot Hill Road, was not arrested; a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy served McKenrick with a summons on June 2, and McKenrick is scheduled to make an initial appearance on the charge at 9 a.m. on June 29 at the Jefferson County Courthouse.
Article IV, Section 4, of the Montana Constitution states, “no person convicted of a felony shall be eligible to hold office until his final discharge from state supervision.” McKenrick has been charged with a felony; he has not been convicted of the charge, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
