Four years after flipping the Adams County Clerk and Recorder seat, Democrat Josh Zygielbaum is vying for re-election. This time, he faces Republican candidate Karen Hoopes, a former Mapleton Board of Education member,  for the seat. 

Zygielbaum and other election officials across the country also face steeper challenges than they did four years ago. Mis- and dis-information stepped prominently into the spotlight ahead of the 2020 presidential election results, when Donald Trump falsely claimed the voting process was rigged. The conspiracy theory, which has been debunked over and over again, has taken hold in some coservative circles, and in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection came local threats of violence and acts of intimidation. 

Earlier this year, Zygielbaum, a former Marine, told ABC News that he wears a bulletproof vest to the office due to threatening messages. 

“I think January 6 was a good reminder that it can very easily go beyond just words,” Zygielbaum told Denver7 in May. “You repeat a lie (and) enough people start to believe it, and I think that there is probably a coordinated effort at the very top, and others just eventually felt that it was truth and began to follow.”

Distrust is something he says he battles on an ongoing basis. 

“I encourage anyone who doubts our processes to come for a tour, to become an election worker, or an election watcher,” he told the Sentinel in a candidate survey. “I encourage those who believe in the conspiracies to become a part of the elections process to gain an understanding for how it all actually works.”

Hoopes proposes more “transparency” measures to engage citizens. She said as clerk she would “provide online public access to scanned ballot images immediately following an election to increase transparency and improve voter confidence” and add high resolution cameras to ballot drop boxes across the county. Those videos could then be monitored by citizens through a livestream feed on the clerk’s website. 

Hoopes said she will “trust but verify” the 2022 election results. 

“Regarding my acceptance of the outcome of the election, ask me again on Nov. 9,” she said. 

Beyond elections, the county clerk and recorder is responsible for a bevy of other actions, such as motor vehicle registration, granting marriage licenses and recording documents. 

With those services, Zygielbaum said he wants to continue improving access. He touts an office that his office opened dedicated to the business community and improving online access to payments. 

“I will continue along this path, expanding services strategically in order to serve our community in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible,” he said. 

Hoopes’ said upon being elected, she would “gain a better understanding of our customer’s needs, likes, and dislikes through customer opinion surveys and focus groups.”

Meet Karen Hoopes
Karen Hoopes

Karen Hoopes

Republican Karen Hoopes has been a Colorado resident since 2003. She was born and raised in Virginia on a small farm. She started her career as a software technical writer and then operated her own consulting firm. In the early 2000s, Karen returned to school for a master’s degree in counseling psychology. In 2011, she was elected to the Mapleton Board of Education. She married in 2005 and has three children and seven grandchildren.

Karen Hoopes Q&A
How can the county’s clerk and recorder work to build trust in the community, especially among those who believe in election conspiracies? 

Adams County citizens deserve elections that encourage voter participation, ensure that each citizen’s vote counts, and instills faith in the process. I worry that voters have lost confidence in the integrity of our elections following the 2016 and 2020 general elections. A September 2020 Hill/Harris poll found that 55% of Americans thought the 2020 elections were rigged, while recent polls reveal 54% of Democrats think Clinton won in 2016 and 63% of Republicans think Trump won in 2020. 

Clearly concerns about election integrity are both bi-partisan and nationwide. Trust in the integrity of our elections can only be restored by engaging citizens in the process and ensuring end-to-end transparency and security in our elections.  

On day 1, I will begin an end-to-end review of election procedures using best practices to identify and fix any vulnerabilities as allowed under election laws and rules. Through public opinion surveys and focus groups with Adams County citizens, I will gain a better understanding of their election integrity concerns, so that these concerns can be addressed. 

I will provide online public access to scanned ballot images immediately following an election to increase transparency and improve voter confidence. (Note: Ballot images do not contain any personally identifiable information, so privacy is protected.)   

I will work to improve the transparency and the security of drop boxes by upgrading and improving visibility with high resolution cameras and implementing a live uplink so citizens can view and monitor drop box activity 24×7 from the Clerk’s website.  

I will work to improve the security of assisted voting and signature verification. 

I will work to ensure the voter registration list is clean.    

Elections are just a piece of what the clerk and recorder’s office does. How will you enhance other functions of the department? 

Motor Vehicle

Continue implementing and promoting time and cost saving technologies like the renewal kiosks and the Gov2go app that will continue to reduce wait times. 

Phase in driver license services at Adams County Motor Vehicle locations. 

Continue to promote access to DMV services online linking from the Clerk’s website to the MyDMV website.

Offer digital car plates as an alternative to metal plates as allowed under the new law HB22-162. Ensure compliance with security, customer service and revocation authority standards. 

Recording & Public Records

Complete the digitization of records for easy online searchable access 

Some County records are available but are not well advertised or visible on the Clerk’s website. I want to increase the transparency of Adams County contracts by providing a published list of documents that can be easily searched by keyword

Make the Clerk’s website more mobile friendly for those whose only Internet access is through their mobile phone.

Overall, I want to gain a better understanding of our customer’s needs, likes, and dislikes through customer opinion surveys and focus groups. I will identify both needed areas of improvement and opportunities for new service development. 

What one thing could make it easier for residents to vote? 

I think Colorado has already implemented many ways to make voting easy, such as being able to register to vote online, automatic voter registration, high school pre-registration, cutting wait times to vote, expanded early voting and no excuse absentee voting. People can vote in person at a voting center, by mail or using a ballot drop box where they can legally harvest up to 10 ballots.  I do believe that it is important to recognize that we need to strike a reasonable balance between making voting easy and making elections secure. 

One simple change to make voting easier would be to evaluate the potential cost benefit of including postage on the ballot return envelopes. Most people are closer to a mailbox than a drop box or voting center. There are only 28 drop boxes across Adams County currently, and while these drop boxes may be conveniently located for some, they are not convenient for people in all zip codes especially if there are transportation challenges. 

Of course, we can’t ignore the next step in the evolution of voting which would be online or mobile voting.  Currently I do not recommend this as a course of action because of potential security and privacy issues and recent security breaches. We must always ensure that every vote has a paper trail for recounts and audits, and that the privacy of voters is always protected.  

What one thing could the clerk’s office or the state Legislature do to make getting and renewing driver licenses easier?

Although the Clerk’s office is not responsible for processing a new driver’s license or renewing driver’s licenses (that’s the responsibility of the Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles), customers can use the myDMV website application linked from the Clerk’s website to access these services online to start a new license or renew an existing license; however, currently the next step of the process is to travel to a DMV state location to complete the process. I believe we can make accessing services more convenient for our customers by phasing in driver license services at the Adams County Motor Vehicle locations so people can do all their Motor Vehicle business in one place. 

  

What one thing could the clerk’s office or the state Legislature do to make getting and license plates and renewals easier?

The State legislature recently passed bill 22-162 making it possible to offer digital car plates. Obviously, there is much more work to be done regarding security, customer support and revoking authority for digital plates, but digital car plates would likely take less time to process, cost less to produce, and be less affected by supply chain issues.    

Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced? 

I will trust, but verify. Regarding my acceptance of the outcome of the election, ask me again on November 9th. ☺ 

Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden? 

I will answer your question, but I first want to pose a question to your readers. Do you believe that the 2016 election was stolen, and that Trump was an illegitimate president as Hillary Clinton and so many others claimed at the time? Remember the resist campaign complete with bumper stickers and marches? In 2016, multiple Democrat members of the US House came forward complaining about Russian interference in the election and asking for the election NOT be certified as was their constitutional right. They complained that the voting machines were not secure and had been hacked to change the vote count. Now let’s fast forward to 2020. Suddenly in the face of irregularities and fraud in swing states, (and with evidence continuing to pour in), it is suddenly NOT okay to question the integrity of the 2020 election because doing so means that you are undermining our democracy. It is suddenly NOT okay to speak out about the voting machines not being secure and possibly changing votes because that makes you a conspiracy theorist. It is NOT okay for Republican congressmen to speak out and ask that the election NOT be certified. In 2020, a person questioning the results of the election is not part of a hip patriotic resist campaign, instead they are labeled a conspiracy theorist, an election denier, and a believer in the BIG lie.  I believe that it is not only the right, but the duty of every citizen to speak out if they have witnessed fraud or irregularities that may have compromised an election. It is by speaking out that we resolve problems and put them to rest. When people are bullied and silenced by others, it doesn’t change minds it just drives problems underground where they fester and divide us further. It’s time to put party affiliation aside, stop the name calling, and start working together to solve problems.
Get to know Karen Hoopes
What’s the most Colorado thing you’ve done recently? 

Sip a café mocha and soak in the mountain view. 

What is the last concert you attended? 

Big Head Todd and the Monsters – a 90’s band that went platinum and got its start in Colorado.  

What restaurant do you frequent most? 

Not Cheers. I like to go where no one knows my name. 

If you had a superpower, what would it be? 

To lay hands on two people in conflict and instantly bring understanding between them. 

What was the last book you read? 

I recently re-read the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire 

What is your least favorite household chore? 

Cleaning the toilet. 

If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be? 

The Chosen 

Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they?  

My resolution was to adjust resolutions as needed. 

What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased? 

Burn my mask at a mask burning party. 

What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you? 

I am writing an action-packed TV series.
Meet Josh Zygielbaum
 

Josh Zygielbaum

Josh Zygielbaum is seeking his second term as the Adams County Clerk and Recorder. He was first elected in 2018, beating Republican incumbent Stan Martin. He moved to Adams County in 2006 when he was a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Since his time in the military, Josh has earned a master’s degree and worked in community banking and finance. He lives in Brighton with his wife and has five children.
Josh Zygielbaum Q&A
How can the county’s clerk and recorder work to build trust in the community, especially among those who believe in election conspiracies?

Being the trusted source of information and consistently completing transparent, accurate, and fair elections is a step in the right direction. Overcoming the strategic misinformation campaigns is a challenge and it’s one we focus on combating regularly. We livestream our audits, offer tours to the public, publish election data on our website, and provide information upon request, even creating custom reports when needed. I encourage anyone who doubts our processes to come for a tour, to become an election worker, or an election watcher. I encourage those who believe in the conspiracies to become a part of the elections process to gain an understanding for how it all actually works. The opportunity to sign up for a tour, to work an election, or to become a watcher is available through our website or through the major county parties. Although the Clerk is affiliated with a political party, I run this office in a nonpartisan manner, all political affiliations are represented on staff, and our one goal is to ensure that we run open, honest, and fair elections. There is no room for politics when accomplishing that goal.  

Elections are just a piece of what the clerk and recorder’s office does. How will you enhance other functions of the department?

The Clerk and Recorder’s office has many critical functions in addition to running fair, honest, and open elections, including: Motor Vehicle, Recording, Marriage Licenses, and Passport Issuance. As Clerk, I have embraced technology to expand access to all of our services, including implementing remote access to nearly 100% of our transactions online, over the phone, or at kiosks conveniently located around Adams County. I also began issuing Passports in 2019 and added marriage license issuance in our Bennett office to better serve the Eastern side of the county. I’ve been working with our Recording vendor to improve the online user interface to make it easier for people to access public records. In Motor Vehicle, I opened the first office in the state dedicated to serving our business community, making it faster and easier for our partners to do business with the county. I will continue along this path, expanding services strategically in order to serve our community in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. 

What one thing could make it easier for residents to vote? 

Roughly 85% of ballot returns come via 24-hour secure drop box, about 10% come through the mail, and generally 5% of ballots are cast at Voter Service and Polling Centers (VSPC). I’m happy that we have all these options for voters. It is apparent that Colorado voters love their drop boxes and my goal is to continue to strategically add boxes in order to make voting easier. While adding in the boxes, I’ll continue to look for locations that are safe and secure, and install the appropriate technology to ensure we maintain a watchful eye on this important infrastructure. Adams County is the only county in the state to have Vote Centers open on Sundays. In partnership with Arapahoe County, we have also opened the first and only joint Vote Center in the state, where voters from both counties can go to receive full VSPC services.  

What one thing could the clerk’s office or the state Legislature do to make getting and renewing driver licenses easier?

The Adams County Clerk’s office does not presently operate any Driver License offices. Taking on this offering is something I’ve been considering and something my staff and I have discussed. I believe that we can provide this service more efficiently by streamlining processes and adding locations where services can be received. The additional locations will increase access countywide and reduce wait times. The State Legislature can extend the expiration date of driver licenses to reduce the need for replacement.  

What one thing could the clerk’s office or the state Legislature do to make getting and license plates and renewals easier?

One of the biggest obstacles in getting or renewing license plates is the cost. I would like to see the state legislature reduce the fees on plating/renewing. As the administrator who oversees Motor Vehicle operations for Adams County, I can make plating and renewing easier through making our offices more efficient and broadening access. Since entering office, I have reduced wait times to an average of about 7 minutes in our offices. I’ve also deployed four, 24-hour kiosks around Adams County, and have made nearly 100% of services available online or over the phone. At our Commercial Office, which is the first of its kind in the state, businesses are also able to drop paperwork and pickup their plates at secure lockers for contactless servicing. Although we love our customers, we also know that they’d rather be doing something other than getting license plates. My goal is to make doing business with us as easy as possible so that our customers can do the things that they really want to be doing. 

Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced?

The Colorado elections process is thorough, safe, secure, and accurate. I wholly trust our processes and will accept the outcome of the election.  

Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden?

Joe Biden is the President of the United States.  
Get to know Josh Zygielbaum
What’s the most Colorado thing you’ve done recently? 

We recently went camping in Guanella Pass.  

What is the last concert you attended? 

Not a concert but we saw several plays recently.  

What restaurant do you frequent most? 

We love food trucks. Every chance we get we try a new one. Papa Mazzotti’s in Thornton has amazing food as well.  

If you had a superpower, what would it be? 

I’d like to be able to fly. 

What was the last book you read?

“Wealth of Nations” by Adam Smith 

What is your least favorite household chore? 

Mowing 

If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be? 

Big Bang Theory 

Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they? 

None this year.  

What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased? 

Going back to live events. 

What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you?  

I love to travel every chance I get.