Proposed ballot inspection rule unnecessary, county clerks say

From The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction): The Colorado Secretary of State’s office is considering new election rules that would include in the definition of damaged ballots those with any markings that might identify the voter. The new rule would require each ballot to be physically inspected by elections officials, which would delay vote tabulations and require more staff, said Mesa County Clerk Sheila Reiner.

Reiner said current law requires clerks to inspect each ballot for such markings only if someone files a Colorado Open Records Act request. The person or group that makes such requests is then charged for the time it takes to inspect ballots for identifying marks.

If the rule goes into place, it only would shift that cost to taxpayers and away from the records requester, Reiner said.

“This is going to waste a lot of resources,” she said. “Most elections are not CORA’ed.”

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