El Paso County Clerk partners with Office of Emergency Management in anticipation of record election turnout

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – In preparation for a forecasted record turnout of voters in November's General Election, the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office is partnering with the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management (PPROEM) to address safety concerns and agency coordination.

This is the first time that El Paso County has utilized the PPROEM for an election.

With expected high turnout, passionate emotions among voters and safety concerns presented during previous elections, Schleiker said partnering with the PPROEM was a “no brainer.”

The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office said utilizing the Office of Emergency Management will have multiple benefits, including:

• Easy coordination among local, state, and federal law enforcement, public health, and other relevant agencies, including Colorado Springs Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Hazardous Material Team, and Homeland Security.
• Assessing and preparing for potential threats, from cybersecurity concerns to civil unrest.
• Bolstering public confidence by demonstrating the office is taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of the election process.
• Increasing resources and faster response during emergency situations, severe weather, and traffic incidents.

“We work year-round to be sure we have the right people talking to each other, and asking the right questions proactively, ahead of any potential issue that might come up,” PPROEM Regional Emergency Management and Recovery Director Andrew Notbohm said. “We have plans to support the Clerk & Recorder and our community around the election, and are continually improving our readiness to provide information, coordination, and resources as needed.”

The partnership with the PPROEM will also include a Command Center during Election Day, providing direct lines of communication to law enforcement, election officials and other agencies.

Law enforcement teams will also be on call and will have specific patrol routes to each of the county's 38 voter service polling centers along with numerous ballot drop-off box locations.

“My duty as the Clerk and Recorder is to ensure a safe, fair, and secure election. Part of that is the safety not only of my staff, the 800 election judges that will be helping us out, but also the safety of all the voters that will be participating,” Schleiker said.