Gessler releases results of Saguache ballot review

Findings confirm winners from 2010 election

Denver, August 31, 2011 – Following a three-day review of Saguache County’s 2010 general election, Secretary of State Scott Gessler released the results. The tally confirmed the winners in the races for county commissioner, county clerk and recorder and the At-Large University of Colorado Regent though procedural differences resulted in a small variance in the vote count.

“This review provided unprecedented access to the ballots,” Gessler said. “After a turbulent election last year, the people of Saguache County deserved an open and transparent review. I want to thank the people who volunteered to participate in this civic process and hope they continue to stay involved in their elections.”

Secretary of State staff partnered with local residents in teams of three to tabulate the votes in the three races. A caller would call out the name of the winner and the other two members would record the vote. The teams would reconcile and confirm the tally after every five ballots. The results of the review compared to the results certified by the county are as follows:

The Secretary attributed the variance in results between the review and the county certified results to the hand review. During last year’s tabulation, the County Clerk failed to use the state’s voter intent guide to count votes. The review teams followed the state’s guide resulting in the difference.

Following completion of the ballot review, Gessler and his staff will continue to work closely with and guide the Saguache Clerk’s office through this year’s election. Using the findings from the Grand Jury report and last year’s Secretary of State’s review, staff will monitor and provide regular consultations with the clerk’s office to ensure a smooth election.