There’s plenty for county clerks to worry about with just seven months before Colorado’s 2008 primary election. For instance: whether the new electronic voting machines used in last November’s elections will be certified, whether there will be enough of them, and whether they will function properly.
For now, we would urge county elections officials to relax and enjoy the holidays. There’s not a lot they can do about the machines between now and the end of the year. However, in the interim, they could get their elections staff in order, train them on the basics of a presidential election and make other preparations.
Because, as we said, there is plenty to worry about.
Secretary of State Mike Coffman is in the process of recertifying machines, in accordance with a 2006 court order, and he expects to have that completed by mid-December.
Even if the machines are certified, pending lawsuits claim they are subject to fraud and should not be used. The suits could impede the elections. Coffman said Friday he would advise clerks to continue working together.
“If any of the electronic voting equipment is decertified, then on the week starting Dec. 17, I will join a working group of county clerks and legislators to review all of the options available to make sure that we have a successful, honest, and fair election in 2008,” Coffman said.
Some county clerks are talking about sidestepping the electronic machines and returning to a paper ballot. Even if the machines are certified, Coffman said some counties still need to order more for what is expected to be a high-turnout presidential election.
Other county clerks want a mail-ballot election, but state law does not allow mail balloting in partisan elections. Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon said last week he is considering introducing legislation to change the law and allow all-mail balloting, despite concerns by some lawmakers that mail balloting in partisan elections is subject to fraud.
Coffman said the state’s new interactive voter registration database, which will be operational for the first time in the 2008 elections, can weed out fraud that involves multiple balloting, or felons not allowed to vote. The system “can instantaneously tell if there are duplicate ballots,” he said.
Gordon said he is unlikely to support some counties using all-mail ballots while others use paper ballots or machines though. Because mail ballots increase voter turnout, allowing some counties to use mail ballots while others don’t would skew the election, Gordon said.
In 2006, voters’ most frequent complaint had to do with the new election machines. Either they had problems using them or they didn’t record their votes correctly — or at all.
Legislators need to work with Coffman’s office and the county clerks to ensure the 2008 elections are fair and open, and that the outcome is accurate — whatever the process.
