Coffman Announces "Election Watch List" Initiative

[Mary Eberle <m.eberle@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In case you didn't see this:

*From:* Jonathan Tee [mailto:Jonathan.Tee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
*Sent:* Monday, March 12, 2007 11:46 AM
*To:* Jonathan Tee
*Subject:* Coffman Announces "Election Watch List" Initiative
*Importance:* High

*Coffman Announces “Election Watch List” Initiative*

/New Program Will Require Counties to Correct Election Problems /

/or Face Court Ordered State Supervision; Watch List Serves as Important
Intermediate Step/

Denver, Colorado – Colorado’s chief elections official, Secretary of
State Mike Coffman, today announced the creation of an “Election Watch
List” for counties that have experienced significant problems in
conducting their elections. This major policy initiative establishes a
process by which the Secretary of State will work with counties placed
on the probation list to ensure corrective action is taken.

Coffman’s ultimate goal for his new policy is to restore the confidence
of voters in the counties that experienced significant problems in the
last election.  According to Coffman, this policy signifies an important
step in protecting the integrity of elections and in making sure that
Colorado’s elections are always fair, honest and well-managed – all top
priorities of his administration.

“In the last election, the vast majority of Colorado’s counties
conducted their elections without any significant problems,” Coffman
said. “However, four out of sixty-four counties had major problems that
warrant them being placed on the Election Watch List.”

A county will be placed on the Election Watch List if it fails to meet
specific legal requirements in conducting its elections, or if it
mismanages an election to such an extent that it creates unreasonable
obstacles for citizens attempting to vote.

Four counties have been initially placed on the list: Montrose, Pueblo,
Douglas, and the City and County of Denver.

    * Montrose County – Errors in programming voting machines; failure
      to conduct Logic and Accuracy testing; failure to adhere to
      multiple security requirements.
    * Pueblo – Failure to conduct signature verification on absentee
      ballots.
    * Douglas County – Excessive delays in voting.
    * City and County of Denver – Excessive delays in voting.

Counties placed on the list will receive a description of their
deficiencies, as well as an outline of the corrective action necessary
for removal from the list. The Secretary of State’s office will work
closely with counties to address these issues before the next election.

“All four of the counties placed on the Election Watch List are under
new leadership.  They inherited these problems and I’m confident in
their ability to correct them.  I look forward to working with them,”
said Coffman.

Remediation will be determined by the severity of the deficiencies in
each county, and may include one or all of the following:

    * Election observer(s) selected by the Secretary of State;
    * Periodic status updates and progress reports;
    * Periodic announced visits by Secretary of State staff to county
      election offices;
    * Participation in training sessions conducted by the Secretary of
      State’s office;
    * Development of mentoring relationships with current or former
      election officials;
    * Participation in mock election exercises;
    * Providing any relevant documentation requested for review by the
      Secretary of State.

Coffman’s goals are to make sure that the problems in the four counties
are corrected, as well as instituting an enhanced training program to
help prevent problems from occurring in the future. The Secretary of
State’s office is required by law to conduct election training to
certify all of the county clerks and their staffs.

“My office is currently developing ways to strengthen the training we
give to election officials as a way to prevent major problems from
occurring in the future,” said Coffman.

Ultimately, if a county fails to address the deficiencies that placed it
on the Election Watch List, Coffman will seek a court order giving the
Secretary of State’s office direct supervision over the conduct of the
county’s next election, until the identified problems are corrected.

According to the Attorney General’s office, the Secretary of State has
always had the legal authority to seek a court order to oversee a
county’s elections. Coffman sees the Election Watch List as an important
new intermediate step.

“With the Election Watch List in place, the Secretary of State’s office
can work with counties in a collaborative manner to correct their
problems to avoid the drastic step of court-ordered supervision of their
elections.  This policy is meant to be helpful, not punitive,” Coffman
concluded.

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