El Paso County releases new first-in-state voter tool to promote election transparency

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - On Tuesday, Civera Ballot Verifier went live on the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's office website. The technology was implemented after people raised concerns about the accuracy of voting machines.

The new Ballot Verifier database and software allow voters to see how each vote was counted by machines in each race for the last two years, and will be updated each year moving forward. It also shows how and when adjudicated ballots were judged.

To utilize the tool, concerned voters can navigate all the way down to individual ballots, with signatures, initials and any other distinguishing factors redacted for privacy.

"All these tools that are out there for [voters] to understand is their vote is secure." Steve Schleiker, the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder, said. "Everything that we do here in this office in regards to elections is  100% transparent."

Schleiker says the technology allowing voters to see individual ballots is the first of its kind in the state.

The CEO of Civer, Adam Friedman, says he started the company out of a desire for more transparency.

"I founded Civera because of my frustration with the status quo around government transparency," Friedman said. "In most U.S. states, ballots are not public record. However, ballots are one of the most important records to be public, because they are actual proof that those elected govern us deserve to be there."

The tech was approved by the Board of Commissioners last year, and costs around $150,000 a year to implement.

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