The company hired to provide ballots and equipment for Denver elections is again facing criticism – this time for its handling of an election that was supposed to be a chance at redemption.
In the November election, mistakes at Sequoia Voting Systems led to improper postage and transposed “yes” and “no” answers on absentee ballots that in part led to a lengthier counting process. The company was also faulted for an overwhelmed computer system that led to long lines at the polls.
Councilman Charlie Brown suggested in December that this month’s mail-in election on the fate of the Denver Election Commission was a chance for Sequoia to say, “Cowboy up, and let’s go.”
But election officials said errors at Sequoia this time around have led to thousands of ballots being mishandled: About 3,500 ballots were incorrectly sent to residential addresses rather than mailing addresses, and about 1,200 voters who live outside of Denver did not get their ballots.
Even Mayor John Hickenlooper’s ballot was sent to the wrong place because of confusion over a change of address.
Now the U.S. Postal Service is blasting the vendor.
“Sequoia is a low-cost, low-quality, out-of-state election mail vendor,” U.S. post office district manager Dean Gran holm wrote in a letter to Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman.
“Our locally documented cases over the last two years show that every mailing prepared by Sequoia had mail design, sortation, or preparation issues, regardless of the amount of prework and information the Postal Service provided them.”
In a five-page response, Sequoia officials disputed Gran holm’s claims and detailed their communications with the post office leading up to the mail-in election.
“At absolutely no instance during the process to produce and mail ballots for the January 30, 2007, election,” Sequoia spokeswoman Michelle Shafer wrote, “did anyone from your office have any communications with us that would indicate that you have any concerns whatsoever with our processes.”
Election commission executive director John Gaydeski told City Council members Tuesday that the mistakes are symptomatic of a rushed election.
Outrage over problems in the November election led city officials to push for an overhaul of the election commission – and fast.
During an emotional meeting the day after Christmas, the council voted 7-6 to hold the election.
They approved it over the objection of City Council president Michael Hancock – who called the election “a bad idea” – and the mayor.
Despite some errors at Sequoia and about 30,000 ballots returned undelivered, election commission officials said the ballots will be counted correctly. Gaydeski still flinched when asked by a council member if he anticipated smooth sailing from here on out.
“That’s a bold prediction,” he said, before half-joking that he had not expected such sharp criticism from the post office. “I don’t know who is going to write me a letter.”
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 303-954-1657 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
