Montrose County Clerk Fran Long on Right Track to Improving Elections

Secretary of State’s Site Visit, as Part of Election Watch List Program, Reveals “Remarkable Progress”

Denver, May 31, 2007 – Secretary of State Mike Coffman released a report today highlighting the significant progress that Montrose County Clerk and Recorder Fran Long has made to improve the management of elections in her county. The report is the result of the first official site visit to Montrose County by Secretary of State personnel, as part of the Election Watch List program.

“Montrose County has made remarkable progress in rectifying the identified deficiencies and implementing the measures contained within their Security Plan,” the report states.

“One of the most troubling issues facing Montrose County was the lack of adequate security measures surrounding their elections equipment,” Coffman said. “Clerk Long immediately recognized this fact and has taken the appropriate steps to remedy those issues.”

The report notes the following security measures implemented by Clerk Long:

• The Ballot Storage Room is locked and prior to gaining access to the room an individual must sign the facility access log; the room is also equipped with security cameras, focused on the Ballot Origination Software (“BOSS”) application;
• The Mail Ballot Boxes (“MBBs”) are stored in a locked cabinet within the Ballot Storage Room; individuals who unlock this cabinet must sign the chain of custody log prior to breaking the seal on the box;
• The locked cabinet contains permanently labeled and neatly organized MBBs;
• Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines are now neatly stored in a locked room and are properly sealed;
• All election records are stored within a locked, temperature-controlled vault and all documents are labeled accordingly;
• The Judges Booth Controllers (“JBC”), which had previously been unsecured with the DREs, are now stored in the vault;
• The Tally computer was previously located near a door which could potentially be accessed by the public. The computer has since been moved and continuous video surveillance equipment has been installed.

Coffman views this progress report as evidence that Clerk Long is the right person to restore voter confidence in Montrose County elections.

“I expressed confidence in Clerk Long when I placed Montrose County on the Election Watch List,” Coffman said. “The significant improvements Clerk Long has already overseen prove that she is a capable leader and the right person to ensure that Montrose County elections are managed properly in the years to come.”

Coffman reiterated the ultimate goal of the Election Watch List: to restore the confidence of voters in the counties that experienced significant problems in the last election. The program is an important step in protecting the integrity of elections and in making sure that Colorado’s elections are always fair, honest and well-managed.

“The purpose of the Watch List is to identify problems within a county, and for local and state elections officials to work together to address those concerns,” Coffman added. “That’s exactly what is taking place in Montrose County.”

Montrose County will remain on the Secretary of State’s Election Watch List through the 2008 election cycle, at which point the county will be evaluated to determine if it should be removed from the list.