The embattled Denver Election Commission is $400,000 over budget, forcing the cash-strapped city to transfer budget funds to make up the difference.
The commission’s latest blunder – sending out a voters guide without including a statement in favor of a ballot measure – has resulted in $43,396 of taxpayers’ money being spent for reprinting and mailing, the department said Monday.
Karon Hatchett, head of the election department, and the three Election Commission members are expected to appear before the City Council’s finance committee today to answer questions about their $2.8 million budget.
“I’m very, very frustrated,” said Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz. “I hate to spend taxpayer money to rectify blunders.”
The commission, through its media relations consultant, said it had a $600,000 budget cut in 2003-04 and has been trying to increase services with less money.
“These cost increases are due to the special election in May, expanded early-voting costs for that election, and increased numbers of on-call temporary help for technical and data conversion projects for the November election,” Alton Dillard said in an e-mail.
However, in February the commission reversed its decision to hold an all-mail ballot for the May election in which voters approved funding for a new justice center – even though a mail election was expected to save taxpayers as much as $400,000.
To make up the shortfall, the city will transfer that amount of money from the commission’s capital budget to its operating budget.
There is about $500,000 in the capital budget for new voting machines that comply with federal law for people with disabilities. That money, however, will be needed next year to buy the machines, which means the commission may have to ask the council for supplemental funds, according to the budget department.
“I think they have to do a much better job at being accountable for money and services,” said Councilwoman Carol Boigon.
The commission has been criticized for a series of mishaps and public blunders. In last year’s presidential election, nearly 40 percent of reported voting problems in Colorado occurred in Denver, a Denver Post analysis found, and the commission was late in mailing about 13,000 absentee ballots.
The Denver district attorney’s office is still wading through 140 cases of potential voter fraud.
After reversing its decision to use voting centers in May, the commission said it would use early-voting centers in November but reversed that decision in June when it decided to return to polling precincts.
About 10 days ago, the commission said it found that a “clerical error” had led to a statement in favor of Referred Measure 1A to be omitted from the 2005 Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights notice. An addendum was printed and mailed.
Staff writer Karen Crummy can be reached at 303-820-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com.
