81,000 Voters Were Not Sent Ballots For Colorado Springs, Colorado, Election by Ed Sealover

Reproduced under the Fair Use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use.

| Chapter 9 — Voting Problems In The 2003 Elections |

| Next — Error Spurs Total Vote Recount In Boulder, Colorado, by Marcos Mocine-McQueen |

March 25, 2003 — Colorado Springs' mail-ballot election, which was supposed to increase voter participation, may limit it because not every registered voter has received a ballot.

Ballots are being sent only to active voters — people who voted in the November general election or, if they didn't vote, have notified the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office they are still in the area.

Of the city's 222,000 registered voters within city limits, just 141,000 received mail ballots. Even some people who say they voted in November have told campaign workers they didn't get their ballots.

City Clerk Kathryn Young said she is following state law directing local election offices to send mail ballots to active voters, rather than all of them.

Sending out another 81,000 envelopes would have pushed election costs way up and probably would not have increased participation because few inactive ballots would have come back, Young said.

"It's not something I made up," Young said.

At-large City Council candidate Tom Gallagher said this further alienates voters upset with government. He worries the city could be in legal trouble if enough people who don't get ballots complain they were not given the opportunity to vote.

"We've denied these people a polling place," Gallagher said. "At this point in the game, I don't know what we can do except cross our fingers and hope this election doesn't get contested."

A divided council voted in January to use mail ballots for the April 1 election, feeling it would save money and increase voter participation. A mayoral contest, six council races and extension of the Trails, Open Space and Parks tax are on the ballot.

Many voters don't know this isn't a polling-place election, and some haven't gotten ballots, said Don Schley, who is campaigning for several candidates.

He's encountered voters who have gotten ballots when their spouses, who also voted in November, haven't and poll workers from the November election who are without a ballot. As of last week, Young had received 437 requests for ballots.

Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Sallie Clark said the limited number of people getting ballots should alarm officials, especially when a few hundred votes might decide the mayoral race.

"I'm concerned that our voter turnout won't be as high as expected, and that defeats the purpose of the mail ballot," Clark said.

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| Chapter 9 — Voting Problems In The 2003 Elections |

| Next — Error Spurs Total Vote Recount In Boulder, Colorado, by Marcos Mocine-McQueen |

Last updated 6/14/09