VOTER INFORMATION CARDS MAILED FOR THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION
Tuesday, September 11, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – In order to help voters prepare for the upcoming Presidential Election the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder has mailed Voter Information Cards to all registered voters well in advance of the statutorily required deadline. In an effort to clarify information for voters the Clerk’s Office is mailing three types of voter information cards:
• Permanent Mail-In Voters-this card informs the voter that they will be receiving a ballot by mail, the approximate date they should receive their ballot, the available ballot drop-off locations and the dates for dropping off their ballot.
• Inactive Voters-this card informs the voter that they are inactive and encourages them to verify and update their information. The card also serves as a Mail-In Ballot application so they can update their information and request a Mail-In Ballot. It also includes information regarding the voting options for the 2012 Election (Early Voting, voting by mail, and their 2012 Polling Place location).
• Active Voters-this card informs the voter of their options for voting in this November’s election (Early Voting, Mail-In Ballot or at their Polling Place), a Mail-In Ballot application as well as their 2012 Polling Place.
There are three ways that voters can return their Voter Information Cards, if they are updating their information or requesting a Mail-In Ballot:
1. Go online to GoVoteColorado.com (requires a valid Colorado Driver’s License or ID).
2. Return the completed Voter Information Card to the Clerk’s Office by mail, fax or email.
3. Come into one of the four Clerk & Recorder’s Office locations.
Information on Voter Registration Statuses:
Permanent Mail-In Voters-These are voters who have signed up to always receive their ballot in the mail. The Clerk’s Office mails their ballot to them for every election as long as they stay active or remain on the list.
• Inactive Voters-Any registered voter who failed to vote in the 2010 General Election was changed from “active” to “inactive”. The individual remains registered to vote and eligible to vote but, the voter is no longer considered active. Notice was sent to all affected individuals in February of 2011. Also included in the list of Inactive Voters are individuals whose mail has been returned to the Clerk’s Office as undeliverable.
• Active Voters- Are registered voters whose information appears to be current and whose mail has not been returned to the County Clerk’s Office as undeliverable.
Links to sample Voter Information Cards:
Active Voter VIC
Inactive Voter VIC
Permanent Voter VIC
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NEW SERVICE OFFERED FOR BOCC RECORDS
Tuesday, September 4, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Access to Resolutions approved by the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners is now readily available through the County website at http://www.elpasoco.com. The Board acts on governance matters through a Resolution process at the weekly BOCC meetings. The minutes of the meetings are recorded and posted on the County website.
Anyone visiting the site can choose the date of the meeting, read the minutes and click the link of the Resolution in which they are interested. The link opens the recorded Resolution document. BOCC meeting minutes on the web are for the years 2012 and archived years 2011 – 2005. The meeting information is located on the County website at http://bcc2.elpasoco.com/bocc/agenda.asp. Also included is the audio record of BOCC meetings for those who wish to hear the proceedings and discussion of the topics. The audios have file markers to easily find agenda items.
Previously, only the minutes for the current year had active links to the recorded Resolutions. This new service will assist people who wish to research Resolutions brought before the County Commissioners in past years. The Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners Department, in the Clerk & Recorder’s Office, maintains the records of the BOCC. The departmental staff may be contacted for assistance at 520-6430.
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ELLICOTT SCHOOL DISTRICT RECALL PETITIONS DECISION ON PROTESTS
Friday, August 31, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – A Protest Hearing regarding the Recall Petitions for two Ellicott School District 22 Board members, MaryAnna Clemons and Ernest Hudson, was held on August 15. El Paso County Clerk & Recorder Wayne Williams has determined a ruling on the protests.
Three protests had been filed: MaryAnna Clemons and Ernest Hudson each filed a protest on their own behalf. Gary Dahn filed a protest in regard to both MaryAnna Clemons and Ernest Hudson.
Clerk Williams denied the protests filed by Gary Dahn and MaryAnna Clemons with regard to the Petition to Recall MaryAnna Clemons from the D-22 School District Board of Directors. The determination is that the MaryAnna Clemons Recall Petition has been found to be sufficient.
In the protest filed by Gary Dahn regarding the Recall Petition for Ernest Hudson, it was ruled that Mr. Dahn did not meet his burden to sustain his protest.
Clerk Williams did grant the protest filed by Ernest Hudson with regard to the Petition to Recall Ernest Hudson from the D-22 School District Board of Directors. The determination is that the Ernest Hudson Recall Petition has been found to be insufficient.
As a result of these protest rulings, there will be Recall Election held in conjunction with the General Election on November 6, 2012. The Recall Election will be for Ellicott School District 22 School Board member MaryAnna Clemons.
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ELLICOTT RECALL SUCCESSOR NOMINATIONS
August 3, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – The El Paso County Clerk & Recorder has issued an open call for nominations for successor candidates on behalf of the Ellicott School District for their potential recall election. Should the sufficiency of the recall petitions stand after the time for protest has passed and based on the determination of any protest hearings the recall election will move ahead. It is anticipated this recall election will be held in conjunction with the General Election on November 6, 2012.
Because the time for the protest period has not yet closed the due date for completed petitions has not yet been set. By law the completed successor candidate petitions must be filed with the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder’s Office no later than ten calendar days after the Designated Election Official sets the date for the election. The official date of the election will not be set any earlier than August 15, 2012, making the deadline no earlier than August 25, 2012.
"Even though the time for the protest period has not yet closed and our office has not yet officially selected the date of the election we wanted to give those who want to potentially fill these positions every available opportunity to circulate their petitions instead of waiting and giving them only ten days to circulate their petitions," said Clerk Wayne Williams.
Any individual who wishes to be a successor candidate for one of the two offices up for recall may pick up a petition packet and instructions at the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder’s Main Office at 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2202. Individuals circulating a petition to be a successor candidate must collect fifty valid signatures by the deadline.
More information is available at http://car.elpasoco.com/election.
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VOTER REGISTRATION AVAILABLE AT THE EL PASO COUNTY FAIR
July 20, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – The El Paso County Clerk & Recorder’s staff will be at the El Paso County Fair providing citizens with the opportunity to register to vote for the upcoming November Presidential Election.
The Clerk & Recorder’s Office will be working in conjunction with El Paso County and the Citizen Outreach Group to have voter registration available at the County booth at the fair. Clerk & Recorder’s staff will be at the booth to assist voters and answer questions from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day of the fair, July 21 – 28.
"We wanted to be proactive in providing our citizens an opportunity to register to vote and be able to participate in this monumental election," said Wayne Williams, Clerk & Recorder.
The deadline to register to vote for the November Presidential Election is Tuesday, October 9, 2012.
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2012 PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS CERTIFIED
July 9, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Friday the El Paso County Election Department completed the required canvass process to certify and finalize the 2012 Primary Election results. The canvass process is the official audit of the election results. The canvass board is made up of a member of each major political party and the County Clerk & Recorder.
Part of finalizing the election results is completing the required Post Election Audit. This audit is a comparison of the tabulated results to a hand count. The races are randomly selected by the Secretary of State’s Election Division. In the case of El Paso County, for every race the machine and hand count matched.
Additionally, UOCAVA ballots that were returned by Military and Overseas Citizens voters and were postmarked by Election Day will be counted and added into the results. Other ballots that will be included in the final count are ballots where the voter needed to cure their ballot before it could be counted. There are several reasons for this; for example their signature did not match their voter record, and they needed to provide identification and confirmation that they did return their ballot, or they did not sign their ballot. Individuals with these types of situations have until eight days after the election to respond and correct the problem in order to have their ballot counted.
Final official election results are available on the Clerk & Recorder’s webpage: http://car.elpasoco.com.
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or by email at AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
PRIMARY ELECTION MOVES AHEAD
June 25, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Due to the Waldo Canyon Fire the Office of the Clerk & Recorder wants to notify all citizens of El Paso County that the 2012 Primary Election will move ahead as planned. Voters must have their ballots into the Clerk’s Office by 7:00 p.m. tomorrow in order to be counted; postmarks do not count. The Clerk’s Office will work with displaced voters to get them a ballot. If you need assistance please contact the Election Department at 719-575-8683 or by email: elections@elpasoco.com.
The Clerk’s Office has curbside ballot drop-off locations throughout the county for voters to drop-off their ballot.
The Clerk & Recorder’s branch offices are:
o Main – Citizens Service Center – 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road
o North – 8830 N. Union Blvd (Research Pkwy and Union Blvd)
o Southeast – 5650 Industrial Place (Powers Blvd and Airport Rd)
o Downtown – Centennial Hall – 200 S. Cascade Ave (Cascade and Vermijo)
For this election there are three additional walk-in ballot drop-off locations that are available on Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Additional ballot drop-off locations:
o East – Charles C. "Chuck" Brown Transportation and Environment Complex – 3275 Akers Drive
o South – City of Fountain City Hall – 116 South Main Street
o North – Town of Palmer Lake – City Clerk’s Office – 42 Valley Crescent. On Monday, June 25, this location is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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Ballots for Displaced Voters
June 25, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – For voters who have been displaced by the Waldo Canyon Fire and who still need to cast their ballot in the June 26 Primary Election, the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder will issue them a replacement ballot. Voters just need to appear in person at the Clerk’s Office and the staff will assist them with the process for receiving a ballot. If the voter cannot appear in person, please contact the Election Department and the staff will work with individuals on a case by case basis to get them a ballot.
Voters can come to any one of the four Clerk & Recorder’s Offices to receive a mail ballot.
The Clerk & Recorder’s branch offices are:
o Main – Citizens Service Center – 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road
o North – 8830 N. Union Blvd (Research Pkwy and Union Blvd)
o Southeast – 5650 Industrial Place (Powers Blvd and Airport Rd)
o Downtown – Centennial Hall – 200 S. Cascade Ave (Cascade and Vermijo)
All Clerk & Recorder’s Offices will be open today from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and tomorrow from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Voters can also contact the Election Department directly at 719-575-VOTE (8683) or by email: elections@elpasoco.com. Voters also can verify the status of their ballot at www.GoVoteColorado.com.
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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CURBSIDE BALLOT DROP-OFF AVAILABLE ELECTION DAY
June 25, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Ballots must be in the possession of the County Clerk & Recorder by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted. Postmarks will not be honored and those ballots will not be counted. Voters are encouraged to drop-off their ballot at one of the Clerk’s branch offices or additional ballot drop-off locations. To assist voters the Clerk will be providing curbside ballot drop-off at all four branch offices on Election Day, Tuesday, June 26.
On Election Day curbside drop-off will be available from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The Clerk & Recorder’s branch offices are:
o Main – Citizens Service Center – 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road
o North – 8830 N. Union Blvd (Research Pkwy and Union Blvd)
o Southeast – 5650 Industrial Place (Powers Blvd and Airport Rd)
o Downtown – Centennial Hall – 200 S. Cascade Ave (Cascade and Vermijo)
For this election there are three additional walk-in ballot drop-off locations that are available on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Additional ballot drop-off locations:
o East – Charles C. "Chuck" Brown Transportation and Environment Complex – 3275 Akers Drive
o South – City of Fountain City Hall – 116 South Main Street
o North – Town of Palmer Lake – City Clerk’s Office – 42 Valley Crescent. This location only is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, June 25.
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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TOMORROW IS ELECTION DAY
June 25, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Tomorrow is Election Day. Voters who wish to vote in the 2012 Primary Election must return their ballot by 7:00 p.m. on June 26 to the El Paso County Election Department in order for the ballot to be counted. Ballots that are postmarked June 26 but are not received by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day by the Clerk & Recorder will not be counted.
The Clerk & Recorder’s Offices will be providing curbside ballot drop-off at all four branch locations tomorrow from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. No neighborhood polling places will be open on Election Day. Registered voters who have not received a mail ballot can come to any of the four Clerk & Recorder’s Offices to pick up a ballot or to vote in person. All offices will be open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The Clerk & Recorder’s branch offices are:
o Main – Citizens Service Center – 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road
o North – 8830 N. Union Blvd (Research Pkwy and Union Blvd)
o Southeast – 5650 Industrial Place (Powers Blvd and Airport Rd)
o Downtown – Centennial Hall – 200 S. Cascade Ave (Cascade and Vermijo)
In addition to the Clerk & Recorder’s Offices there are three additional walk-in ballot drop-off locations. All locations will be open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. These locations only have ballot drop-off services; no other election services are available.
Additional ballot drop-off locations:
o East – Charles C. "Chuck" Brown Transportation and Environment Complex – 3275 Akers Drive
o South – City of Fountain City Hall – 116 South Main Street
o North – Town of Palmer Lake – City Clerk’s Office – 42 Valley Crescent
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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CURBSIDE BALLOT DROP-OFF AVAILABLE MONDAY
June 21, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Ballots must be in the possession of the County Clerk & Recorder by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted. Postmarks will not be honored and those ballots will not be counted. Voters are encouraged to drop-off their ballot at one of the Clerk’s branch offices or additional ballot drop-off locations. To assist voters, the Clerk will be providing curbside ballot drop-off at all four branch offices on Monday, June 25, and on Election Day, Tuesday, June 26.
On Monday, June 25, curbside ballot drop-off will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Election Day it will be available from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The Clerk & Recorder’s branch offices are:
o Main – Citizens Service Center – 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road
o North – 8830 N. Union Blvd (Research Pkwy and Union Blvd)
o Southeast – 5650 Industrial Place (Powers Blvd and Airport Rd)
o Downtown – Centennial Hall – 200 S. Cascade Ave (Cascade and Vermijo)
For this election there are three additional walk-in ballot drop-off locations that are available on Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Additional ballot drop-off locations:
o East – Charles C. "Chuck" Brown Transportation and Environment Complex – 3275 Akers Drive
o South – City of Fountain City Hall – 116 South Main Street
o North – Town of Palmer Lake – City Clerk’s Office – 42 Valley Crescent. This location only is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, June 25.
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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FULL ELECTION SERVICES AVAILABLE THIS SATURDAY
June 21, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – This Saturday, June 23, the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder’s four offices will be open to provide full election services for the 2012 Primary Election. At these locations voters who are unaffiliated can affiliate with a political party, pick up a ballot, be issued a replacement ballot, or drop-off a ballot.
All four offices will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to assist voters. Other Clerk & Recorder’s services such as Motor Vehicle and Recording will not be available. However, the North Office will be providing our office’s usual full services including Motor Vehicle and Recording from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The Clerk & Recorder’s branch offices are:
o Main – Citizens Service Center – 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road
o North – 8830 N. Union Blvd (Research Pkwy and Union Blvd)
o Southeast – 5650 Industrial Place (Powers Blvd and Airport Rd)
o Downtown – Centennial Hall – 200 S. Cascade Ave (Cascade and Vermijo)
Two additional ballot drop-off locations also will be open on Saturday. These locations are for ballot drop-off only; voters cannot be issued any type of ballots from these locations.
Ballot Drop-Off locations:
o East—Charles C. "Chuck" Brown Transportation and Environment Complex—3275 Akers Drive
o South—City of Fountain City Hall—116 South Main Street
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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Important Information Regarding Political Campaign Signs
June 19, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – We all want to keep our beautiful community clean and free of litter and debris, however, please think twice before you yank up that political campaign sign from someone else’s property or from a public right of ways—because there is a fine, a seven hundred and fifty dollar fine, to be precise. Many people are unaware that during the 45 days before an election through four days after, it is unlawful to remove properly placed political campaign signs from the public right of way (C.R.S. §1-13-113).
Most government entities have policies and procedures in place regarding political campaign sign placement and it is up to the campaigns to ensure they follow these directions. Some entities require permits while others simply provide placement directions. The Clerk & Recorder’s Office has compiled some of this information to assist the public and campaigns in regards to political campaign signage.
· City of Colorado Springs:
If you would like information on a permit for private usage of public right of way, contact the City of Colorado Springs Land Use Review Division at 719-385-5355.
· City of Fountain:
Political campaign signs are exempt from some requirements. To learn more, campaigns may contact the Planning Division for the City of Fountain at 322-2000.
· Town of Monument:
Political campaign signs do not require a permit, however, there are regulations pertaining to the signs. For information, contact Code Enforcement for the Town of Monument at 884-8035.
· El Paso County:
For information on permitting of political campaign signs and the timeframe for placement in unincorporated El Paso County, contact El Paso County Development Services, Code Enforcement at 719-520-6748.
· Colorado Department of Transportation:
The State of Colorado does not allow political campaign signs on state-owned property/right of way. Signs may be placed on private property adjacent to the state highway.
Anyone who has concerns about the placement of political campaign signs should contact one of the following government entities for assistance or to notify them of improperly placed political campaign signs. Citizens should not remove political campaign signs from public right of ways or private property. The only individuals allowed to remove political campaign signs without permission are the owner of the premises, an authorized agent of the owner, or any person charged with enforcement of any state law, ordinance, or regulation.
· City of Colorado Springs:
If you have questions about political campaign signs placed in the City of Colorado Springs contact CSPD Code Enforcement at 719-444-7891. They will enforce the regulation of sign placement and will take down signs if placed in the wrong areas.
· City of Fountain:
If you have questions about political campaign signs placed in the City of Fountain, contact Code Enforcement at 322-2032.
· Town of Monument:
If you have questions about political campaign signs placed in the Town of Monument, contact Code Enforcement at 884-8035.
· El Paso County:
For information on permitting of political campaign signs and the timeframe for placement in unincorporated El Paso County contact El Paso County Development Services, Code Enforcement at 719-520-6748.
· Colorado Department of Transportation:
The State of Colorado does not allow political campaign signs on state-owned property/right of way. CDOT employees will remove political campaign signs that are placed in the state highway’s public right of way.
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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TUESDAY DEADLINE TO RECEIVE A BALLOT BY MAIL
June 18, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Tuesday, June 19, is the last day voters may request a mail ballot for the Primary Election and have the ballot mailed to them. By law the Election Department is not allowed to mail ballots to voters after this date. After tomorrow voters will be required to appear in person at one of the Clerk’s four offices to pick up a ballot.
Voters who are unaffiliated and wish to receive their ballot by mail must declare an affiliation by June 19, 2012. After June 19 they must appear in person at one of the four Clerk & Recorder’s offices to affiliate with a political party.
There are three ways to update an individual’s voter information and/or declare their party affiliation:
Print a voter registration form from www.GoVoteColorado.com and email, mail, or fax it to the Clerk & Recorder’s Office:
Mail: El Paso County Elections Department
PO Box 2007
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
Email: elections@elpasoco.com
Fax: 719-520-7327
• Visit any of the four County Clerk & Recorder’s Offices:
o Main – Citizens Service Center – 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road
o North – 8830 N. Union Blvd (Research Pkwy and Union Blvd)
o Southeast – 5650 Industrial Place (Powers Blvd and Airport Rd)
o Downtown – Centennial Hall – 200 S. Cascade Ave (Cascade and Vermijo)
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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HOW TO RECEIVE A MAIL BALLOT
PRIMARY ELECTION IS JUNE 26
June 14, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Approximately 204,000 ballots were mailed to affiliated voters for the June 26 Primary Election. This mailing included both active and inactive voters. Voters who have not received a ballot should first verify that they are affiliated with a major political party conducting a Primary at www.GoVoteColorado.com. If they are unaffiliated, they must declare their affiliation in order to receive a ballot. Voters who are not affiliated with a political party conducting a Primary were not mailed a ballot.
Voters who are unaffiliated may declare their affiliation and receive a ballot by mail. Voters can affiliate three ways:
• Go to www.GoVoteColorado.com to declare an affiliation and be mailed a ballot through June 19, 2012.
• Visit any of the four County Clerk & Recorder’s Offices: o Main – Citizens Service Center – 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road
o North – 8830 N. Union Blvd (Research Pkwy and Union Blvd)
o Southeast – 5650 Industrial Place (Powers Blvd and Airport Rd)
o Downtown – Centennial Hall – 200 S. Cascade Ave (Cascade and Vermijo)
• Print a voter registration form from www.GoVoteColorado.com and email, mail, or fax it to the Clerk & Recorders Office:
Mail: El Paso County Elections Department
PO Box 2007
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
Email: elections@elpasoco.com
Fax: 719-520-7327
Voters who have not received a ballot and are affiliated with one of the political parties which are conducting a Primary can verify their voter record at www.GoVoteColorado.com or by contacting the Election Department at 719-575-VOTE (8683). If their information is incorrect or needs to be updated, voters can use any of the options listed above. Voters who are affiliated with a party that is not conducting a Primary will not receive a ballot. They may not change affiliation as the deadline for changing a political party affiliation has passed.
For more information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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BALLOTS MAILED FOR THE JUNE 26, 2012 PRIMARY ELECTION
June 4, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Today the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder’s Election Department mailed approximately 203,000 ballots to the citizens of El Paso County. Ballots should begin arriving at voters’ homes in the next couple of days. Ballots were mailed to affiliated voters; both active and inactive failed to vote statuses. The major political parties that are conducting a Primary Election this year are the American Constitution Party, the Democrat Party and the Republican Party. Winners from the Primary Election will move forward as their party’s nominee to the November Presidential General Election.
Voters must be affiliated with a major political party in order to receive a ballot. For affiliated voters who wish to change political parties, the deadline has passed. Voters who are unaffiliated must first affiliate with one of the three above listed parties prior to receiving a ballot. Unaffiliated voters who wish to receive their ballot by mail must declare a party by June 19, 2012 in order to have the ballot mailed. After June 19 voters must appear in person at any Clerk & Recorder’s Office to declare their affiliation and receive a ballot. Unaffiliated voters may affiliate through one of three methods:
• Update online at www.GoVoteColorado.com
• Update in person at any of the four Clerk & Recorder’s Office locations: o North Branch—Union Town Center – 8830 N. Union Blvd. (Research Pkwy. and Union Blvd.)
o Main Office—Citizens Service Center – 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2202
o Downtown Central—Centennial Hall – 200 S. Cascade Ave., lower level (Cascade Ave. and Vermijo)
o Southeast Branch—5650 Industrial Place (Powers and Airport)
• Download a Colorado Voter Registration Form from the website www.GoVoteColorado.com and submit it to the Clerk & Recorder’s Office by mail, fax, or scan and return it by email.
Fax: (719) 520-7327
Email: elections@elpascoco.com
Mail: Election Department
PO Box 2007
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
For additional information, contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or by email at alissavanderveen@elpasoco.com
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COURT RULES AGAINST CLERK & RECORDER IN ELECTION LAWSUIT
May 4, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – Today Judge David A. Gilbert overturned County Clerk & Recorder Wayne Williams’ decision to cancel the primaries for the Democrat and American Constitution Parties. The judge’s ruling was based simply on the language of the statute pertaining to cancelling primary elections. The outcome, however, may be absurd.
"This was a very unfortunate decision. We had planned to save the citizens of El Paso County over $68,000 by cancelling these primaries. It’s disappointing that the Judge did not see things the same way," said Clerk & Recorder Wayne Williams.
"We are grateful to the court for giving us a decision in such a timely manner. This allows us to move forward without delaying any of our processes. We are disappointed that the court erred on the side of conducting a primary for no reason other than simply to allow candidates to have name recognition. We now will go back to focusing and preparing for the Cherokee Metro District Recall Election and the Primary Election," said Williams.
The Cherokee Metro District Recall Election will be May 22, 2012 and Primary Election will be conducted on June 26, 2012.
For information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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SECRETARY OF STATE GESSLER FILES SUIT AGAINST EL PASO COUNTY CLERK & RECORDER WAYNE WILLIAMS
REGARDING THE CANCELLATION OF PARTIES’ PRIMARIES
May 1, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO – On Friday, April 27, El Paso County Clerk & Recorder Wayne Williams cancelled two political parties’ primary elections since there were no contested races on those parties’ ballots. The primaries were cancelled for the purpose of saving money for the taxpayers of El Paso County. "By cancelling these unnecessary primaries we will be saving the taxpayers and citizens of El Paso County over $60,000. This is a huge saving, and with those funds we were planning to purchase Ballot on Demand Printers to improve our Early Voting process this November, which is a direct benefit to our citizens," said Clerk & Recorder Wayne Williams. "We want to spend the resources for the election that matters—not on uncontested races where there is no decision to be made," said Williams.
After Clerk & Recorder Williams cancelled El Paso County’s Democratic and American Constitution Parties’ Primaries, the Secretary of State filed suit on Tuesday against Williams. The Secretary of State’s reasoning is that if any party is having a primary, then all primaries must be conducted. Williams believes that the law allows a Clerk to cancel one party’s primary election while still conducting another party’s primary. In April of 2012, 2 of the 5 municipalities in El Paso County conducted no election under similar circumstances. In November of 2011, 6 of 17 El Paso County School Districts did not appear on the Coordinated Election ballot because there were no more candidates than offices.
In the canceled Democratic primary, there was no candidate running for the office in 11 of the 17 races. In every other race, there is only one candidate running. Cancelling a primary election does not change the outcome of the races; those candidates still will be placed on the November General Election ballot.
Previously, clerks were required to conduct the primary election even if none of the races were contested. In 2009 the law was changed to allow clerks to cancel uncontested primary races. In 2010 since there were contested races at the top of the ticket for both major political parties, the primaries were not able to be cancelled.
For information contact Alissa Vander Veen at 719-351-9626 or AlissaVanderVeen@elpasoco.com.
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