Montana Title 7. Local Government § 7-4-2206. Vacancies--appointment of interim officer

(2)(a) Vacancies in all county offices, except that of county commissioner, must be filled by appointment by the board of county commissioners. Except as provided in subsections (3) and (4), the appointee holds the office, if elective, until the person elected at the next general election is certified pursuant to 13-15-406. If the office is not elective, the appointee serves at the pleasure of the commissioners.

(b) The commissioners may appoint a person to serve as an interim officer for the time period between occurrence of the vacancy and the date on which the vacancy is filled pursuant to this section. A person appointed as an interim officer must have the qualifications required under this chapter for the office to which the person has been appointed. Upon appointment, the interim officer is authorized to perform the duties assigned by law to that office.

(a) Whenever the vacancy occurs prior to March 1 before the primary election during the second year of the term, the same procedure must be used as is used to elect a person to that office for a full 4-year term.

(b) Whenever the vacancy occurs on or after March 1 before the primary election, any political party desiring to enter a candidate in a partisan election in the general election shall select a candidate as provided in 13-38-204. A political party shall notify the county election administrator of the party nominee. A person desiring to be a candidate as an independent shall follow the procedures provided in 13-10-501 and 13-10-502. The petition for an independent candidate must be filed with the county election administrator prior to August 1 before the general election. A candidate for a nonpartisan office shall file as provided in Title 13, chapter 14.