‘Nothing to hide’: Officials tout Colorado’s election process | Focus on Denver

A recent Washington Post article painted a picture of what life is like for poll workers in Pinal County, Arizona, particularly how officials there decided to increase transparency measures, including building a new election headquarters with large windows and surveillance cameras and equipment of the cages used, transporting voting equipment with GPS devices to counter rumors that ballots had been left behind in a nearby desert in 2020, and conducting an external audit of their voting and cybersecurity systems.

Some Colorado officials argue that these steps aren’t necessary here — because Colorado is “the gold standard” when it comes to ballot access and election transparency.

In interviews with Colorado politics, Current and former election officials, as well as representatives from nonpartisan organizations, emphasized what they described as ballot accessibility, transparency and high levels of voter engagement in the state.

“Put voters first”

When Amber McReynolds joined the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office in 2005, she said she was disappointed to find that the pioneering spirit for which the city was revered was missing from her new job.

“There was no focus on customer experience, and there wasn’t even really a focus on what voters were telling us through customer service data,” she said, noting that the office didn’t act on feedback that showed more and more residents Denver opted for postal voting.

When McReynolds became the city’s elections director a few years later, she made it her mission to provide voters with an election experience tailored to their needs and preferences.

“The goal has always been to put voters first,” she said. “Democracy is a team sport. It’s about ensuring justice in our lives and meaningful representation for all.”

In 2010, Denver became the first city in the country to implement a ballot tracking system, allowing voters to track the status of their ballots as they were mailed, verified and counted. McReynolds, who helped implement the system and is now vice chairman of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, said the ballot tracking system is now used by more than 120 million voters nationwide.

During her time in Denver, McReynolds also played a key role in introducing automated voter registration and address updating, which she said significantly increased voter turnout in the city.

“None of these reforms had been packaged this way before, and we did it by putting voters at the center and designing a better way,” she said. “And the great thing about all of this was that it was done in a bipartisan manner and put Colorado on the map. We have made our entry a prime example of what you do to serve voters.”

‘Bombproof’

A number of other measures have been implemented statewide to increase voter confidence in the integrity of Colorado’s elections, said Beth Hendrix, executive director of the League of Women Voters Colorado.

Notably, Colorado is a mail-only state, meaning voting occurs primarily by mail.

“We have all heard the misinformation that mail-in voting is not secure, but there is never a real reason why it is not secure,” Hendrix said. “Certainly there is no evidence that it is not safe. Here in Colorado, every ballot drop box is secured by video and firmly anchored to the sidewalk. I mean, basically it’s bombproof.”

In addition to video surveillance, some counties have set up livestreams of their ballot boxes so residents can watch footage from home at any time.

Hendrix said nearly every ballot in Colorado is paper, with some exceptions for people with disabilities who may need electronic ballots. This paper system allows for easy recounts if necessary.

Election judges and observers from both the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as independents, are present at county voting centers to monitor every step of the voting process, from signature verification to final vote tallying.

“We have a lot of people across the state dedicated to this work, from all parties,” she said. “Our election workers are trustworthy, committed and motivated.”

The bipartisanship of poll workers is something to be celebrated, added Mikayla Ortega of the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

“I think it’s very important to recognize that there are obvious concerns (about election transparency) and we understand that,” she said. “That’s why it’s important for people to know that elections are run by bipartisan people from both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, coming together every election to put country before party and deliver fair, accurate and credible elections .”

“There is nothing to hide”

Denver County residents can drop off their ballots at any of 45 drop boxes located throughout the city. Officials said these boxes are monitored around the clock. Polls begin on October 11 and Ortega is urging people to vote as early as possible.

After Election Day, each county conducts a risk-limiting audit under the supervision of representatives from both parties, randomly selecting ballots and checking them for accuracy, officials also noted. In addition, custody logs will be maintained to track who processed ballots and when, and all ballots will be removed from their envelopes before being counted to ensure they remain anonymous, they said.

The Denver Elections Division also offers tours of its voting center so residents can see firsthand what happens to ballots after they are submitted. Poll workers are available to answer any questions voters may have, no matter how difficult or unpleasant they may be, officials said.

“We are accessible and available because there is nothing to hide,” Ortega said. “It’s a very tough process and we’re really excited to demonstrate it and show you how it works.”

With so many security measures in place, it would be almost impossible for an election in Colorado to be “rigged,” Ortega said.

“There are so many protections against any kind of misconduct that could possibly happen, and there are people on both sides of the party line working hand in hand,” she said. “We have Republicans and Democrats, and they won’t let either of them get away with anything.”