The catalog of problems with Denver’s ill-fated election system was so ludicrous that panel members probing the mess during a meeting Wednesday were taken aback.
The software used to access a central electronic pollbook was so poorly designed it violated “Programming 101,” according to a consultant.
The malfunctioning system couldn’t even be used to train poll workers in advance of the election.
And basic security and power surge protection of the system’s central server were lacking.
Hubert Farbes, a local lawyer and member of the panel, called the revelations “laughable failures.”
In the next two weeks, Farbes and others on the investigatory panel will face a considerable challenge. They’ll have to decide how they want to frame and prioritize fixes for the multiple problems they’re analyzing.
City elections are looming in May, and we hope the panel will offer at least some general guidance so the next Election Day in Denver is a smooth one. We also hope members will focus considerable energy on the broader question of the commission’s governance and structure.
There is no question the three-member commission that runs the elections agency has to go. With two elected members and one appointed, it is a clunky structure that has little accountability.
The panel’s thoughts on a replacement structure would advance the debate at city hall. Clearly, the process to select, design and test software was problematic and must be examined. Furthermore, the panel should examine the status of the approximately 20 commission employees.
Unlike most other city employees, they are not part of the career service system in which workers are hired based on qualifications and have certain protections. At the commission, employees have at-will status, meaning a worker can be terminated for any reason. It doesn’t help that the commission has a brief and vague personnel policy.
The future of commission employees is likely to be a thorny political issue. But a new elections agency, regardless of configuration, cannot be hampered by employees without appropriate skills.
The current system led to the likely disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of people who didn’t vote because of long lines. Many city residents who perservered and voted on Election Day were inconvenienced by historically long waits.
We’re looking forward to constructive solutions that will avoid repeating the experience.
