State mandates changes to Teller Co. election process

Two additional staff members have been requested and required by Secretary of State Scott Gessler to assist Teller County during the upcoming election.

According to Jim Ignatius, chairman of the Teller County Board of County Commissioners, the additions are a result of two reports filed by state observers who were present during the primary elections in June.

The reports cited incomplete ballot envelopes and a lack of staff training as issues impacting the primary election. The full report can be viewed here.

“He did over one year’s worth of evaluations to come to the conclusion that help was needed during the primary. Now that the evaluation was taken on the primary, it was pretty clear that we needed some assistance, and we got it,” said Ignatius.

Arapahoe County Deputy Election Manager Al Davidson and Debbie Silva, statewide Colorado voter registration system expert, will be working with Teller County during the general election in November.

Ignatius said Gessler also provided an order that declared the secretary of state will take direct supervision of the election portion of the clerk’s duties.

“They will be training our staff and we have the oversight from the secretary of state’s office; there will be no issues because of the folks that we have on board now,” said Ignatius.

Ignatius said the county is appreciative for Gessler’s assistance. He said there is concern as to how to pay for the required assistance.

According to Ignatius, the cost associated with the observers present during the primary election was $15,000.

He said the direct cost associated with the addition of Davidson and Silva will be approximately $120,000.

“There was a lot of questions where that money is coming from and did we budget for that, which the answer is no. We didn’t anticipate this,” said Ignatius.

Ignatius said while the origin of the funds is “to be determined,” he is confident the general election will have no issues and said the county can be confident that their votes will be counted.