Saturday,

J anuary 1 7, 2 015 at 6 :50:27 PM M ountain Standard Time

Subject: Chie%ain editorial 12.2.14

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 6:50:03 PM Mountain Standard Time
From:

Marilyn Marks

Emphasized shortcomings
S S M
PUEBLO
PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
CHIEFTAIN EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
Published: December 2, 2014; Last modified: December 3, 2014 09:41AM

WHAT A mess!
Long have we raised red flags about the integrity and
validity of an all-mail ballot election, and the now
three-week-old drama of the election certification is
making us feel vindicated.
Its been a baffling forth and back between the Pueblo
County Clerk and Recorders Office, the county
canvassing board and the secretary of state over who
if anyone can certify the local results of this falls
election. And so far no real answer is forthcoming,
although the Pueblo Board of County Commissioners
assured Coroner-elect Brian Cotter that they will
appoint him to office if it comes to that.
A representative of the Colorado Secretary of States Office is scheduled to meet with the local canvassing
board this morning.
So as the saga continues to play out with no real resolution on the immediate horizon, all we can do is
shake our heads.
There have been a multitude of problems that led to the stalemate, including worries about discrepancies
in the precinct-by-precinct vote count and about the so-called outstacked ballots. Those were rejected
by the countys tabulation machine and had to be hand-copied and resubmitted.
The Chieftain has also reported that this falls all-mail election did not include poll books the holy grail
of record keeping for election purposes.
All of which just brings into sharp focus the risks inherent in a mail-only election. With no poll books,
there is no record of who voted and no way to ensure the integrity of the process. And when that falls
under fire so, too, does the validity of the entire election.
As it stands now, the near-term future of the countys elected officials, and the will of the voters who put

Page 1 of 2

them into position, is still fuzzy. Granted, all but Coroner-elect Cotter were incumbents who by some
legal interpretations may continue into their next term temporarily unsworn, but that is not the point.
Rather, this election has highlighted the shortcomings of the much-touted mail-ballot system. It is time
for Pueblo County to learn from this failed experiment and to go back to the more secure, and more
integral, polling-place system.
- See more at: http://www.chieftain.com/opinion/3121547-120/election-county-mailpueblo#sthash.TMAD8rpj.dpuf

Page 2 of 2