DENVER—A sure sign Colorado’s elections are down to the wire: Both parties are quietly making plans for possible recounts.
Colorado has a neck-and-neck Senate race, a three-way governor’s race and at least three House races where party control could flip. With polls showing some contests within margins of error, combined with Colorado’s sizable bloc of independent voters, candidates and ballot counters are readying for an Election Day that could take weeks to sort out.
Campaigns know that the morning after a close race is no time to start figuring out how to handle a recount. The parties say they have lawyers on standby now for any election problems or close races.
“We’ve got legal counsel that is ready to go into action,” said Colorado GOP chairman Dick Wadhams.
Democratic Party chairwoman Pat Waak said Thursday that Democrats have lawyers standing by to monitor elections and advise on possible recounts.
“You need a plan ready to go in the event it’s a very close race,” Waak said.
Colorado calls for an automatic recount when a result is within one-half of 1 percent. However, it can take weeks before a formal recount is triggered, because Colorado’s counties have until Nov. 26 to turn in final vote totals, including overseas military ballots and provisional ballots.
Candidates can also request recounts, if they’re willing to pay for it themselves. Richard Coolidge of the secretary of state’s office estimated a statewide recount might cost about $2.2 million—based on county tabs sent to the state for reimbursement.
Coolidge said that while a recount wouldn’t be ordered until all ballots are counted, which can take many days, the state’s elections officials are standing by for possible recounts.
“From the polls reported in the media, it looks like a lot of these races could come down to the wire,” Coolidge said.
Recount talk spooks candidates. They don’t want to talk about recount plans publicly because that would indicate doubt about how the race will go. But campaigns certainly don’t want to be unprepared for a drawn-out recount effort.
Spokesmen for both U.S. Senate candidates, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet and Republican Ken Buck, said they haven’t retained recount lawyers. But both say they’ll be ready if the race is tight enough to trigger a recount.
Colorado’s governor’s race features Democrat and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper against American Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo, with Republican nominee and former tea party favorite Dan Maes a distant third. Tancredo has surged in recent polls.
Elections officials are also watching a suburban Denver House district known for photo finishes.
The 7th District is held by Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter, who is trying to fend off Republican challenger Ryan Frazier. In 2002, when Republican Bob Beauprez and Democrat Mike Feeley ran in the newly created district, the race wasn’t called until mid-December. Beauprez won by 121 votes—the closest congressional race in the nation that year.
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