“Election Day outside of big cities is different. For one thing, there are so few people in my town that each individual vote does matter and several local races have been decided by as many votes as you can count on one hand.”
As the above quote from journalist Susan Orlean states, every vote makes a difference. In Colorado, we strive to provide every eligible voter the right to exercise their right to vote, all while being rated the most secure state in the country to cast a ballot.
In La Plata County, there were races that were too close for me to call on Nov. 6: the county commissioner race between Brad Blake and Clyde Church, which showed Blake ahead 47 votes at about midnight Nov. 7, and the Pine River Library mill levy question, for which the NO votes were ahead by 10, both within the automatic recount margin. The county treasurer race between Allison Aichele and Colton Black, which had Aichele at a 185-vote advantage, was too close to call on election night; however, it did not fall into the recount margin.
All voters must sign their own mail ballot envelope affidavit, which is compared against their voter registration record. If the signature does not match or if there is a missing signature, Colorado law allows voters to cure their mail ballot packets for up to eight days following the election, which was Nov. 14. Also, if voters have not provided a sufficient form of Colorado acceptable identification, they have eight days to submit identification in order for their mail ballot packet to be processed.
Our military and overseas voters must have transmitted their ballots no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day; however, they may be received during the eight-day cure period. My office notifies all of these voters about the cure process and asks them to address the issue.
Election results are always unofficial until after the eight-day cure period has passed, the Risk-Limiting Audit has been conducted and is approved and the County Canvass Board has certified the election. Our canvass is scheduled for Nov. 26.
A mandatory recount is required if the difference between the highest number of votes cast and the next-highest number of votes cast is less than or equal to half of 1 percent of the highest number of votes cast in a ballot contest.
Mandatory recounts cannot be commenced until after successful conclusion of the risk-limiting audit and county canvass. A political subdivision or a defeated candidate may waive the automatic recount provision by providing a statement in writing to the county clerk.
Besides these tight contests, La Plata County also experienced a record turnout for a midterm election. We are required to report voter turnout with active and inactive registered voters, which for this election was 45,647. In La Plata County, 28,905 voters cast a ballot, so our turnout is 63.3 percent. If we could report by the active registered voters only, our turnout is 76 percent. This is a terrific turnout and I wish we had this much participation for every election. I believe the high turnout is due to the number of contested races and the number of ballot questions statewide and at the local level.
Elections are extremely emotional, complex and full of highs and lows. My team and I are accountable for maintaining public confidence in honest and impartial elections, which we conduct in a fair, efficient and accurate manner.
As always, it has been an honor to serve the people of La Plata County.
The staff, election judges and support teams were invaluable in ensuring the integrity of our whole electoral process. We could not do it without them.
I welcome anyone to contact me directly regarding any questions about our processes or Colorado laws.
Tiffany Lee Parker is the La Plata County Clerk. Reach her at (970) 382-6281.
