“Nuked” this year’s election?
I’m wondering if Aurora Sentinel editor Dave Perry ate an oversized Colorado-style brownie before writing his over-the-top editorial concerning Secretary of State Wayne Williams’ effort to ensure that all ballots in the Nov. 3 election arrive in a timely manner.
(SOS Williams’ mail-ballot scare gets a stamp of disapproval; Oct. 27)
Our nonpartisan elections staff had several discussions with U.S. Postal Service staffers last week after clerks in Bent, El Paso and Gunnison, to name a few, asked why their ballots hadn’t yet landed in voters’ mailboxes. The clerk in Gilpin County said a local reporter wondered why she hadn’t received her ballot nine days after it had been mailed.
On Wednesday, a day after we advised voters to hand-deliver their ballots, the postal service came up with what it sees as solutions to legitimate concerns raised by our office and a number of clerks. We appreciate the USPS attempting to address our issues and are hopeful this resolves our concerns.
All post offices in each county now will deliver ballots directly to the county clerk.
The postal service also has deployed a checklist to local postal workers to make sure ballots are being delivered to the correct counties. On Monday, 200 ballots intended for Boulder County were delivered to Larimer County. Pitkin County reported receiving returned ballots intended for clerks in Boulder, Delta, Eagle and Garfield counties.
It’s great that the U. S. Postal Service delivers almost every piece of mail on time. But almost doesn’t cut it in elections. Any ballot received after 7 p.m. on Election Day – regardless of when it was mailed – cannot be counted.
As Secretary Williams likes to point out, when he was clerk and recorder in El Paso County two school board races were decided by a single vote – and that was after the recount. We want to ensure that every Coloradan’s voice is heard.
Lynn Bartels is Communications director for the Colorado Secretary of State reach her at [email protected]
Every eligible voter should know they have all the options: to mail in their ballot (I’d do it before Friday), drop it off or vote in person! Some counties have ballot tracers so you know when your ballot arrives back and is accepted!