Several questions have come in to the Bulletin from people afraid to send in their mail-in ballot for the August 10, 2010 primary election, or who have been given misinformation about the ability to vote in person after receiving a mail ballot.

If a person requests and receives a mail-in or absentee ballot, the official voter record reflects that person as having already received a ballot to vote.

If the same person appears at a polling place on election day and asks to vote, that person is then asking for two ballots, according to the official record. They have received one by mail, according to the judge's record, and are asking for another one from the election judge on election day.

The person in that situation will be denied a standard ballot at the polls because the official record shows they were already given one and, of course, it is illegal to vote twice. However, they will be allowed to vote a "Provisional" ballot if they insist on voting in person.

When they step aside to vote the provisional ballot, that ballot will be sealed and held apart to be bundled separately from the machine-counted ballots of the day. Provisional ballots are then handled exactly like mail ballots with errors. The eligibility of the voter has to be confirmed, and the Clerk's office has to make sure that the same voter did not also vote another ballot (i.e. the mail ballot that they requested and received).

The net effect is likely to be that the polls will be bogged down for everybody because of the special handling (if there are a lot of those who want to vote in person on election day after requesting a mail ballot) and a delay in counting provisional ballots which are not processed until 8 days after election day because of the verification process required.

Summary:

-If you requested a mail ballot, you will have to vote a provisional ballot if you come to the polls on election day. That will delay counting your vote for up to 8 days.
-Your mail ballot envelope is addressed to Debra Green, Park County Clerk and Recorder, because that is the official legal address of the Clerk's office. The official address is always the same, regardless of which election year it is.
-The Elections Official for Park County is currently Susan Balicki. She can be reached at 719-836-4223
-According to the Clerk's office, a mail ballot that is specifically requested and sent to the voter for a particular election costs the taxpayers $3.00 each.

Information on vote center locations and other election information is provided on the Park County Clerk's website. If you are in doubt about standard voting practice or are new at voting, you can also visit the Colorado Secretary of State website. A smooth election day will provide quicker results and reduced voter wait times for all of us.

ABOVE ALL - VOTE!!

I got this information from the clerk's office yesterday:

If you want to vote by machine but have a mail-in ballot you can take it to early voting August 2-6 during normal business hours. The clerk will void your mail-in ballot and then you can vote using the electronic DRE machine. But this can only be done during early voting.

BUT BUT BUT Windchime! What if I'm afraid of the DRE machines too?? They're all electronic!! I can't see where my vote is going!! And that whole voting early thing - nobody is watching those machines at night and the one in Bailey is right next to the Sheriff's Office!!

Seriously, I know people who won't use those either because they don't trust the software and the fact that they don't see a paper ballot going anywhere.

I can't wait for this election to be over! Holding up my corner of the paranoia wagon has been exhausting!

Thanks for all of the information. I recommend poll watchers and somebody following the transport vehicles as they carry the ballots to Fairplay. But not to get in the way.

Ha! I ain't askeerda no 'lectronic dee-vice!!

I was askeerd that everybody'd lost their sense o' humor!!

Our minds, maybe, but never our senses o' humor.

I hear that!

Thanks for the good info everybody. I did run into some guys who thought they could just toss away their mail ballot and go vote on the 10th. Thanks to this, I could give them the right word.

Is there a place where all lost minds go, like lost socks from the dryer? Some kind of big cardboard box? Are the senses o' humor sad to be left behind? Do they pack a hobo bundle and go out in search of their minds? There can't be too many happy endings.

What if you go to get your lost mind back and get somebody else's by mistake??? Or an old sock! Without your mind, how would you know the difference?? There were times I wondered what might have happened to my kids. That explains it.

Sockhead!

Well I'm definitely not happy with MY "ending". It's slid further south than it should have.

Hello, fellow sockheads. The "end" is near. Not the end of the world - just the end of the party nomination process. At least, we hope that's all it is.

Early voting starts today at the Clerk's offices. If you don't like the fun social event awaiting you at the polls on August 10, you can go get it over with if you have time during the day.

Early Voting (this week only)
Early voting will begin August 2, 2010 through August 6, 2010, Monday through Friday, 7:00 am - 6:00 pm.

* Fairplay Clerk and Recorder, 501 Main Street, Fairplay, CO
* Bailey Motor Vehicle, 50865 Highway 285, Bailey, CO

For more from the Clerk's election information page,
http://parkco.us/index.aspx?nid=435

One other frequent question needing clarification. District 3 Commissioner Candidate Monica Jones is an Independent (unaffiliated) candidate. She is neither a Republican nor Democrat and will not appear on any primary election ballot for August 10. Jones will run against the winner of the Republican primary and the race will be decided in the November 2, 2010 election.

Republican primary voters will choose a candidate for District 3 Commissioner from three GOP candidates - incumbent Mark Dowaliby, challenger and former temporary appointee Lillian Wissel, and new challenger Samantha Bertin.

The winner of the primary will then run against the independent candidate, Monica Jones, for the District 3 seat.

The Primary Election process is a nominating event. Each party selects its preferred candidate to go on to run in the November general election against candidates who are not in the same party. That is why there are separate ballots for each major party and not a combined ballot for all voters. The Primary is a followup to the Assembly when the Assembly does not result in a final decision for the respective party. It opens the Nominations up to the voters at large in the party.