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, March 12, 2007 – 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.