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February 29, 2008

The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Secretary of state recertifies voting machines

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204297679/14...
Secretary of State Mike Coffman on Thursday recertified all the optical scanners that 47 counties in the state use to count ballots, including several in Southern Colorado. With that recertification, all of the electronic voting equipment that his office had declared unusable in December have all now been declared fit for use. Earlier this week, Coffman recertified voting machines used in some of the state's largest counties, including Pueblo. On Thursday, Coffman said that optical scanners built by Hart InterCivic were certified because about 1 percent of ballots put through them were not counted accurately. Coffman said much of that happened because of "extraneous marks" that might appear in the ballot, such as a pen dot or other inadvertent scrawl.
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Campaign nixes "Bill in blackface?" listing : Elections : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/28/campaign-nixes-bill-blackface-...
Inquiries from the Rocky Mountain News prompted Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign to remove a supporter's "Bill in blackface?" event announcement from Clinton's official campaign Web site. The notice appeared in an "action center" section of www.hillaryclinton.com where average supporters are allowed to publicize local events that are not necessarily sanctioned by the campaign. In this case, the notice promised "Laughter at NAFTA Rally!" on Monday in downtown Cleveland. The description: "We've hired some high-end comedic talent to ease the way into Primary Day! Want to see HRC in cat-scratch mode? Bill in blackface? How about Mark Penn doling out pizza crusts and doughnut holes to the volunteers? We've got it all!" The event was listed at: HillaryClinton.com.
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Film fest focuses on democracy : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/29/ex-broncos-punter-pleads-not-g...
The Denver 2008 Host Committee announced Thursday the launch of a film festival to coincide with the Democratic National Convention in August. Called "Cinemocracy," it invites people to make short films about what democracy is or isn't. Films submitted via free upload will be judged by the online public and the top 10 will be screened at a free public event in Denver during the week of the convention, Aug. 25-28. The winning film will be screened as part of the official program of the 31st Starz Denver Film Festival, Nov. 13-23.
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State GOP vowing long look at donors - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8400472...
State Republicans are vowing "extraordinary scrutiny" of the big-money donors behind influential independent advocacy groups that have pummeled the party in several recent elections, including the two biggest players, Pat Stryker and Tim Gill. The first shot was fired this week by Colorado GOP chair Dick Wadhams, who during a speech here Wednesday highlighted a Medicare fraud settlement — an issue first raised by Republicans in 2006 — against Stryker Corp., the Michigan-based medical products company started by the billionaire heiress' grandfather. "When Democrats talk about corporate greed, what could be more greedy than ripping off the federal program that takes care of the poor and the elderly? What could be a better example of corporate greed than the Stryker Corp. being convicted of Medicare fraud in South Dakota," Wadhams said in an interview, echoing his public comments. These donors aren't "going to get away with hiding in the shadows in this election," he said. The charge has failed to gain traction since it first surfaced two years ago, partly because Stryker has insisted she has no management control over the company, which reached a $345,000 settlement with the Justice Department in 2006.
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Report: Voter database needs costly tweaks : Elections : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/28/report-vote-database-needs-35m...
The new statewide voter-registration database is sound but needs technical and supervisory changes and more staff - at an estimated added cost of $3.5 million - to be successfully implemented for the August primary and November general elections, a consultant said in a new report. The report recommends following the current rollout schedule for SCORE (the State of Colorado Registration and Election system) but also allowing certain counties to use their own databases on Election Day. Widespread concern among county clerks about the progress of the unfinished $10 million database spurred Gov. Bill Ritter, with the cooperation of Secretary of State Mike Coffman, to hire a consultant last month to conduct an assessment. SCORE is two years late and must be used this year to comply with federal law. Atlanta's North Highland Company did the work on the report. To make the elections successful, the firm recommends the state hire 13 full-time staff members to help counties in the field and provide other support.
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Grand Junction Sentinel - Democrats plan Mesa County assembly

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/02/28/022908_10b_Democr...
Mesa County Democrats will gather Saturday at Central High School for their assembly and convention. More than 500 Democrats will kick off Bernie Buescher’s bid for a third term in the state House of Representatives. They will also nominate Dan Robinson for the Mesa County Commission. Buescher is opposed by Republican Laura Bradford. Robinson’s race is the first bid by the two-term member of the School District 51 board for a partisan office. Robinson is seeking to replace Craig Meis, a Republican looking to be elected to his second term on the commission. Meis also is facing an intraparty challenge from Grand Junction Mayor Jim Doody.
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Clerks rejoice at machines' recertification - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8400053...
A big piece of Colorado's election puzzle fell into place Thursday when Secretary of State Mike Coffman recertified the paper-ballot-counting machines used in the large majority of Colorado's counties. The move brings a dose of certainty to this year's elections for the 47 counties that use the Hart InterCivic machines, and it means all but two counties in Colorado now have their full complement of elections machines certified. "I'm ecstatic," said Park County Clerk Debra Green, whose county uses the machines. "This is just one thing taken off my large platter. This is a good thing." Counties see paper-ballot-counting machines — known as optical scanners — as crucial to holding this year's elections. Lawmakers this week introduced a bill requiring a mostly paper-ballot election system for Colorado this year.
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Vote scanning devices OK'd : Elections : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/28/e-vote-machines-get-green-ligh...
Nearly all the electronic voting and tallying machines deemed unfit for use two months ago have now been OK'd for the August primary and November general elections. But that doesn't mean voters will use most of them. A bill calling for all-paper-ballot elections - an effort by lawmakers to restore voter confidence in the election process - is expected to soon become law. On Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Coffman recertified scanning equipment and software used to count paper ballots in 47 counties. The announcement came three days after he recertified electronic voting machines used in six counties. These are the same machines that Coffman on Dec. 17 declared insufficiently secure or insufficiently accurate. Activists who don't trust e-voting machines complained that the machines haven't been improved. They say Coffman is violating law by reapproving them.
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Boulder County voting machines get OK : Election : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/29/county-voting-machines-get-ok/...
Two critical pieces of Boulder County's election equipment got the green light from state voting officials Thursday. Secretary of State Mike Coffman cleared the way for 47 counties to use their optical scanners to count paper ballots in this year's elections. Coffman had decertified most of the state's electronic voting machines in December, including the scanners made by Hart InterCivic, citing security and accuracy concerns. "This is huge," said Hillary Hall, Boulder County clerk and recorder. "The vast majority of our voters vote on paper ballots, and now we know we'll be able to count them." Coffman also approved the Ballot Now vote-counting software used by Boulder County. Local election officials will still have to work with the Secretary of State’s Office on outstanding issues concerning the county’s direct-record electronic machines, Hall said.
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Colorado Daily News - Hart approved

http://coloradodaily.com/articles/2008/02/28/news/c_u_and_boulder/news3.txt...
Boulder County will be able to use a familiar voting system in the 2008 elections, as Secretary of State Mike Coffman announced the system's conditional recertification on Thursday. The announcement was good news for Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Hillary Hall, partially because it means the county will not need to purchase or lease different equipment for what promises to be a very busy 2008 election cycle. “We know that we will be using the equipment that we understand best and that we have already invested in with our tax dollars,” said Hall in a press release. “We will continue working with the Secretary of State's office to address the conditions of use and refining our audit processes to ensure accurate elections.”
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The Steamboat Pilot & Today: Voting equipment OK’d

http://steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/feb/29/voting_equipment_okd/...
Secretary of State Mike Coffman reversed Thursday his decertification of voting equipment used in 47 Colorado counties, including Routt and Moffat. The recertification of the machines, which are manufactured by Hart InterCivic and used to count ballots, is not expected to affect plans to hold paper-ballot elections in Colorado this year, but it will eliminate the need to count ballots by hand. “This will allow us to have an electronic means to count paper ballots,” said Routt County Clerk and Recorder Kay Weinland. “It’s monumental. To count them by hand would have been not only labor intensive, but also it’s been proven to be the least accurate means to count ballots.” Routt County also owns electronic voting machines manufactured by Hart that received conditional certification when Coffman announced in December the results of his court-ordered recertification of electronic voting equipment used throughout the state.
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Democrats and city schools board almost clash over school use

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204297679/7...
The leader of Pueblo’s Democratic Party has said he was trying to head off a confrontation with the city schools board and not condemn the district for the chaos that occurred at some of the party’s caucuses earlier this month. At the Pueblo City Schools Board of Education meeting this week, President Stephanie Garcia complained about statements she said were made at Saturday’s Pueblo County Assembly. Attendance at the caucuses was much larger than expected. At East High School and Roncalli Middle School, hundreds of people had to hold their precinct meetings in cramped quarters.
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Vail Daily - Eagle may have busy ballot

http://vaildaily.com/article/20080228/NEWS/570160272...
The municipal ballot in Eagle keeps getting more and more crowded. Town residents will elect a new mayor and fill three seats on the Eagle Town Board on April 1. The deadline for turning in nomination petitions is Friday. As of mid-week, two candidates had announced intentions to seek the position of Eagle mayor, and nine other residents had picked up petitions for three open town board seats. To date, only two candidates have turned in nomination petitions at the town office — Ed Woodland, who is running for mayor, and Donald Horst, who is running for a town board seat.
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Glenwood Springs Post Independent - Democrat steps into Garfield County commissioner race

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080229/VALLEYNEWS/491696662...
A Democratic challenger to Garfield County Commissioner John Martin, a three-term incumbent, declared his candidacy Thursday. Stephen Bershenyi made his announcement to run for the District 2 commissioner seat at the train station in downtown Glenwood Springs with about 15 supporters watching. Bershenyi said that there are a “myriad of issues” that are not being addressed and “that they will not wait for us,” adding that the county needs to build a better relationship with the oil and gas industry and to institute a county open-space policy. “Imagine, if you will for one moment, that on the other side of this station there is a train sitting,” Bershenyi said. “That train is the future express for Garfield County. This morning I am inviting all of the citizens of Garfield County to board that train with me and help me take this county in a new direction so that when that train arrives at its destination, which is the future of Garfield County, we can all be proud of the results we see.”
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Grand Junction Sentinel - GarCo candidate calls for tough oil rules

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/02/28/022908_3A_GarCo_c...
An artist and blacksmith spoke Thursday of forging new directions for Garfield County as he announced his candidacy for county commissioner. Democrat Stephen Bershenyi will challenge Republican incumbent and fellow Glenwood Springs resident John Martin for one of two county commission seats up for election this fall. Bershenyi called for instituting tougher controls on the oil and gas industry, working to preserve open space and pursuing improved relations with municipalities. He also said if Democrats gain a majority control of the three-person county commission, it would be able to move forward on stalled issues. “We have myriad complex problems, many of which are not being addressed, and they will not wait for us,” he said.
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The Longmont Times-Call - Santos top money raiser in winning race

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=6890...
Gabe Santos raised and spent more money than all his opponents combined in this year’s Longmont City Council race, according to campaign-finance documents released Thursday.
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Superior's election a no-go? : Superior : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/29/superiors-election-a-no-go/...
Candidates for Superior's Board of Trustees had better get their petitions to the town clerk quickly, or there won't be an election April 1.
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February 28, 2008

Unaffiliated Colo. voters gain on GOP : Elections : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/unaffiliated-voters-gain-gop/...
The number of unaffiliated voters edged closer to surpassing Republicans this month as the most numerous voting block in Colorado, according to voter registration figures released Wednesday by the secretary of state. Republican voters outnumbered unaffiliated voters by only about 10,000 in February. That's down from 12,000 the month before. The latest voter rolls show that 2.9 million Coloradans are registered to vote. The percentage of Republicans was 34.8 percent, compared with 34.4 percent unaffiliated and 30.4 percent Democrats. The percentage of unaffiliated voters has climbed steadily for five years. Overall, the number of Republicans increased by about 2,000 from January to February, while Democrats gained about 5,000 registered voters. There was an increase of about 4,000 unaffiliated voters in that period.
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Mark Udall mourns William F. Buckley Jr. | Politics West

http://www.politicswest.com/20851/mark_udall_mourns_william_f_buckley_jr...
U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colorado, who is running for the state's open U.S. Senate seat, released the following statement Wednesday on the death of conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. “Any American who reveres our constitution and admires intelligence, wit and integrity in public life will mourn the passing of William F. Buckley Jr. Like many others who grew up the 1960s and 1970s, I appreciated the provocative conversation in Mr. Buckley’s interviews on his television program 'Firing Line' – where he challenged political leaders from across the political spectrum. America’s conservative movement obviously owes a great deal to the intellectual foundation of William F. Buckley’s writing and philosophy, but his contributions to public life were not just ideological. Mr. Buckley was a grand debater, a great thinker and a brilliant personality. He will be missed.”
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Colorado Daily News - Udall: Solid caucus lead

http://coloradodaily.com/articles/2008/02/28/news/c_u_and_boulder/news3.txt...
There's one downside to massive political participation - massive data entry. Coloradans flooded their Feb. 5 political party caucuses in record numbers, and the raw volume has contributed to the fact that full Democratic Party U.S. Senate preference poll results hadn't been officially released as of Feb. 27. Pat Waak, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party (CDP), said that Senate candidate U.S. Rep. Mark Udall had roughly 87 percent of statewide poll votes as of late Wednesday afternoon, with “uncommitted” at 11 percent and educator Mark Benner at about two percent. Waak said the CDP was still waiting for poll results from Boulder and Jefferson counties as of Wednesday afternoon. For reference, about 120,000 Colorado Democrats attended a caucus, while about 18,000 Boulder County Democrats and 16,000 Jefferson County Democrats caucused on Feb. 5.
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Concerns rising about requiring a paper-ballot election - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8387623...
A bill mandating that the state conduct a primarily paper-ballot election this year may not be a slam dunk, even though it has the sponsorship of party leaders in both legislative chambers. A handful of legislators said Wednesday that they have serious concerns about the bill, a sign that a battle may be shaping up. "I'm just really disappointed that there's the possibility of this going forward," said Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Centennial, "and I will put all my effort into killing it in the Senate." The bill, Senate Bill 189, was formally introduced Wednesday. It would require county clerks to offer all voters a paper ballot, although voters could ask to vote on an electronic voting terminal. Voters would also be able to vote early or vote by mail. Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon, a Denver Democrat who crafted the bill, said the measure would move the state away from using electronic voting terminals, which came under scrutiny after a lawsuit and the secretary of state's subsequent decertification of many of the machines. It would also likely prevent a future lawsuit over the voting terminals, he said. "I think we've hit the right balance here," Gordon said. But several clerks say the bill would drive up election costs and could cause major voting problems.
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Democratic National Convention Volunteering is not a free ticket : State and West : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/28/democratic-national-convention-volunteer...
The group coordinating volunteers for the Democratic National Convention has a message for anyone who thinks blowing up a few balloons will be their ticket to a front row seat at the convention: Not so fast. Overwhelmed by more than 25,000 people interested in volunteering, the Denver 2008 Host Committee this week sent out a note politely stating that the reward for volunteering is not likely to go beyond self-satisfaction. "Some people have the impression that a volunteer position is a ticket, or a credential, to the Democratic Convention," Host committee spokesman Chris Lopez said organizers were not expecting to hear from so many volunteers so many months before the August convention.
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Voter registration system on track, assessment says

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204213176/12...
The new Statewide Voter Registration System is on-track, but it will require more hands-on help from the state, an independent assessment of the system concluded Wednesday. In an effort to avoid problems with the new system that some state agencies have seen with other computer databases in recent years, the Secretary of State's Office and the Governor's Office of Information Technology plan to add more people to help counties get used to the new system, said Rich Coolidge, Coffman's spokesman. "We're happy that the assessment came in, did kind of a nuts-and-bolts review and said, 'The technological side of this, we're confident that it's moving in the right direction,' ” Coolidge said. "What they did say was, 'You need to have more hand-holding with the counties to make sure that they understand how to use the system.' And we're going to provide some more ground support and make the management team more supportive to the counties as they implement this new system."
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Grand Junction Sentinel - Paper ballot measure could bust budget, elections officials say

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/02/28/022808_5b_electio...
A bill pending in the state Legislature that would require primarily paper-ballot elections would, at a minimum, double Mesa County’s 2008 elections budget, elections officials said. The cost of the bill could be the least of the county’s problems, though, and one county commissioner said it might be time to let state officials run the show. “We’ll either have to violate HAVA, federal law or state law,” Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland said. “Our hands are tied. We’ll let Mike Coffman, Ken Gordon decide who wants to run the election in Mesa County.” Secretary of State Mike Coffman is the state’s chief elections official, Gordon is a state senator from Denver who is carrying the bill. Gov. Bill Ritter has called for all-paper-ballot elections in 2008. HAVA is the Help America Vote Act, which requires local officials to offer equipment such as touch-screen machines to voters. Gordon’s bill, introduced with the support of Republican leaders in both houses of the Legislature, calls for voters to be offered paper ballots, but in counties such as Mesa, which have touch-screen voting equipment, voters could ask specifically for that option. Mesa County’s touch screens were certified this week, but the optical-scan equipment needed to count paper ballots is to be tested today and Friday in Denver.
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Colorado attorney general is Robocop | Politics West

http://www.politicswest.com/20835/suthers_robocop...
Coloradans have registered more than three million phone numbers on the no-call list since the 2001 phone privacy law was enacted. There was an exemption, however, for political and charitable groups. And since then, the automated dialing of pre-recorded phone messages - particularly political messages - has clogged the voicemails of thousands of consumers. Advocates of robocalls say it is protected free speech. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, whose office oversees the no-call list, backed SB-146 in the state legislature that would have banned so-called robocalls. It was defeated this month in a state Senate committee on a 4-1 bi-partisan vote. The Robocall Privacy Act of 2008 has been proposed in Congress to regulate the practice. We caught up with Suthers recently to find out what comes next in Colorado.
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Metro: Dem opens bid for commission seat | hunter, county, seat : Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/hunter_33631___article.html/county_seat.html...
Allison Hunter couldn’t stay out of a campaign fray for long. The 43-year-old Democrat, who in December dropped out of her second bid for the state House District 15 seat, filed paperwork Tuesday that officially kicked off her campaign for the District 2 seat on the El Paso County Commission. “A lot of people are desperate for a voice in the county and I can certainly tell that after even only two days,” Hunter said of the support she has received since informally announcing her candidacy at Saturday’s county Democratic Assembly.
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Aspen Times News - Basalt official joins race for council

http://aspentimes.com/article/20080228/NEWS/920530290...
A member of Basalt’s Planning and Zoning Commission decided Wednesday to try out for the big leagues.
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Vail Daily - Red Cliff voters eye private ski resort

http://vaildaily.com/article/20080227/NEWS/227729473...
Scott Burgess wants to repair the relationship between Minturn and Red Cliff, especially now that employee housing from private ski resort may be built near his town. “We have to change that relationship so that we have a say with what’s happening in our own backyard,” said Burgess, who has lived in Red Cliff for two years. That’s one of several reasons Burgess has decided to run for Red Cliff’s Board of Trustees, on which six seats out of seven will be up for grabs April 1.
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Grand Junction Sentinel - Facing changes in Clifton

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/02/28/022808_1a_Clifton...
Residents of Clifton, the most densely populated community in unincorporated Mesa County, may be going to the polls this November to create Colorado’s newest city.
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February 27, 2008

Udall likely losing primary foe | Politics West

http://www.politicswest.com/20760/udall_likely_losing_primary_foe...
Mark Benner, the insurgent Democratic candidate for Colorado's open U.S. Senate seat, got just 1.2 percent of the vote in the preference poll taken during the party caucuses on Feb. 5, according to results released by the party today. Although there is a slim chance that Benner could rally delegates during county conventions, his showing in the preference poll virtually ends his candidacy only weeks after it began. Party rules require a minimum support of 30 percent of delegates to make the primary ballot, and Benner has already said he won't try to petition on, the only other alternative. Those results now make it unlikely that either party will have a primary in what's expected to be the most hotly contested race in the state this year. Democrat Mark Udall, the five-term congressman, received 67 percent delegates in the preference poll, while the remaining 32 percent are uncommitted. The preference poll results released Tuesday are mostly complete, with a small number of counties left to report, said Pat Waak, Colorado Democratic Party chair.
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Meet candidate Jared Polis : Election : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/26/meet-candidate-jared-polis/...
Jared Polis, Democratic candidate for the 2nd Congressional District, will be available to talk with voters throughout the county Sunday. He is scheduling times at various locations and light refreshments will be served.
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Vets group endorses Polis : Election : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/26/vets-group-endorses-polis/...
The Colorado Veterans Alliance, a statewide organization representing 32,000 Colorado veterans, endorsed Democratic congressional candidate Jared Polis on Tuesday. Polis, a Boulder Internet entrepreneur, is running for the 2nd Congressional District. Capt. Rick Duncan, a retired Marine and disabled Iraq War veteran, said in a statement on behalf of the alliance that Polis' recent trip to Iraq indicates that the candidate is intent on gaining first-hand experience about the war. Polis said one of his main goals if elected to Congress is to end the war in Iraq and provide veterans with educational opportunities and physical and mental health services once they return home.
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Vail Daily - Obama receives majority of Eagle County votes

http://vaildaily.com/article/20080226/NEWS/790768872...
Some delegates at Monday’s County Assembly will go to the Democratic State Convention in May in Colorado Springs, where delegates will choose the candidates who Colorado voters will see on primary ballots Aug. 12. Vogl said he hopes to represent voters at the Democratic National Convention, where delegates have a say in who becomes the Democratic presidential nominee. “The farther you go, the more votes you represent,” Vogl said. David Cramer, a delegate who lives in Basalt, said he voted for Mark Udall, who is running to represent Colorado in the U.S. Senate. Cramer’s vote was one of 153 for Udall; Mark Benner got eight votes. Udall is committed to protecting the environment, Cramer said. “I think he’ll do a good job,” Cramer said. Democratic candidates Joan Fitz-Gerald and Jared Polis, who are running to represent Eagle County in U.S. Congress, got 63 and 62 votes, respectively. Fitz-Gerald spoke to delegates about Eagle County’s pine beetle problem and her support of universal health care and withdrawing troops from Iraq. “We cannot occupy a country in our name,” she said. Polis told delegates he wanted to fix the No Child Left Behind Act so that it helps students and does not penalize schools and teachers. Polis has enjoyed serving Colorado as past chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education, he said.
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All-paper voting bill has bipartisan face : Elections : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/all-paper-voting-bill-unveiled...
Colorado will be among the first states to return to an all-paper-ballot election this November if a bill introduced Tuesday becomes law. The bill is a victory for activists who sued state election officials, saying electronic voting machines are untrustworthy and vulnerable to hacking. "It is a huge step forward," said Myriah Conroy, a plaintiff in the 2006 suit against then-Secretary of State Gigi Dennis. "It is really brave and courageous of the (legislative) leadership to bring this forth." But many county clerks call the paper-ballot proposal a step backward, predicting long lines and glitches on Election Day and delayed results. In fact, clerks nicknamed the measure the "Help Colorado Wait in Line Act."
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Bill shifts votes to paper ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8371929...
To the cheers of Capitol bigwigs and to the cringes of a number of county clerks, Colorado lawmakers on Tuesday filed a long-awaited bill mandating a primarily paper-ballot system for elections this year. The bill would require counties to hold polling-place elections and to first offer voters a paper ballot. Voters, however, could decide to vote on electronic voting terminals if that is how they feel more comfortable. Voters also will be able to vote by mail or vote early. Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, said paper-ballot elections are the most reliable and trustworthy option after much of the electronic voting equipment used in the state was decertified last year for not meeting accuracy and security standards. Many of those machines have since been recertified. "It's low-tech," said Gordon, who is the Senate majority leader. "But low-tech means it's less likely there will be computer problems." The majority and minority leaders in both chambers are sponsoring the bill, which also has Gov. Bill Ritter's backing.
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Metro: Bill would open way for paper ballots | bill, ballots, machines : Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/bill_33600___article.html/ballots_machines.html...
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers will introduce a bill today that would give voters the option of using paper ballots in the November election. Senate and House leaders announced the plan Tuesday, saying the joint proposal is intended to end the confusion Secretary of State Mike Coffman caused when he decided in December that electronic voting machines in 53 of Colorado’s 64 counties were inadequate. Under the bill, voters would be given paper ballots to mark by hand when they enter a polling place. They would still have the option of voting early by mail or at polling places Reverting to a low-tech approach is the easiest way to assure voters their vote will be counted, said Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon, D-Denver. “We feel that at this point we’d like to use paper as much as possible,” he said.
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Bill would require use of paper ballots

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204126358/3...
State lawmakers expect to introduce a bill today requiring all Coloradans to vote with paper ballots. Under a new bill sponsored by Republican and Democratic leaders in the Colorado House and Senate, the bill is designed to set a statewide standard on how all 64 counties conduct their elections. The bill, which has yet to be numbered, also calls for counties to be reimbursed for additional costs to implement the use of paper balloting, though it only allocates about $3.5 million statewide. While the bill doesn't allow counties to conduct all-mail balloting for this year's general election, as some counties wanted, the bill's sponsor said those voters who choose can always request an absentee ballot if they prefer to vote by mail.
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The Steamboat Pilot & Today: Paper ballot chances good

http://steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/feb/27/paper_ballot_chances_good/...
Top state lawmakers from the Democratic and Republican parties introduced a bill Tuesday that, if passed, would all but mandate a paper-ballot election for Coloradans in 2008. The bill, which is backed by Gov. Bill Ritter and sponsored by the majority and minority leaders in both houses of the state Legislature, comes despite the fact that some Colorado counties have electronic voting equipment that could be used in the August primary and November general elections. “What we’re saying is that the election is primarily going to be conducted by paper,” Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, said Tuesday. “The confidence in the electronic voting machines has taken a hit. We’re trying to have an election people can have confidence in.” The legislation is in response to Secretary of State Mike Coffman’s decertification or conditional certification of electronic voting equipment used throughout the state.
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Grand Junction Sentinel - Bill would force voters to ask for touch screen

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/02/26/022708_1b_Paper_v...
New legislation calls for statewide paper-ballot elections this year, but the bipartisan measure also would allow citizens to vote on touch-screen machines. The hitch is that the voter must ask for the electronic machine. Otherwise, they’ll be stuck with a paper ballot or ballot card. Touch screens “shall be used only by an eligible elector who affirmatively requests” them, the legislation reads. That allows the state to negotiate between Gov. Bill Ritter’s demand for paper-ballot elections this year and the high-tech voting equipment to which voters must have access under federal law. The ability to use touch-screen voting equipment, though, won’t save Mesa County any money and could cost the county significantly. “The Legislature and the governor have not done anything for favorable conditions for elections in the state of Colorado with this bill,” said Amy Storm, Mesa County chief deputy clerk. “It does not help us out in the slightest.” A requirement in the bill, which is being carried by leaders of both parties in both houses, would require that elections officials have more paper ballots available than voters expected to cast ballots at polling places.
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Political conventions hijack Colorado State Fair Express

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204126358/6...
The nation's political climate might be described as a runaway train, but politics literally hijacked the Colorado State Fair Express this year. Organizers hope the train - which made its inaugural trek last year delivering 320 passengers to and from Denver's Union Station to Pueblo's Union Depot for the Colorado State Fair - will only be derailed a year due to this year's Democratic and Republican national conventions. The Democratic Convention is scheduled Aug. 25-28 in Denver and the Republican Convention is scheduled Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis. This 136th annual Colorado State Fair lands in the middle of the action, scheduled Aug. 22-Sept. 1. Problem? The vintage cars hitched to last year's Colorado State Fair Express will be used for various activities during both conventions.
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Durango Herald Online - Lawmakers present paper-ballot bill

http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&articl...
Most Colorado voters will use paper ballots this fall, if high-ranking legislators get their way. Lawmakers announced a bill Tuesday requiring a mostly paper- ballot election, to the dismay of many county clerks who had wanted either an all-mail ballot of greater use of electronic voting machines. "We're not relying on computers as much as we were in the past," said Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver. "It's low-tech, but we think low-tech means there's less likelihood there will be problems." The bill will not require any changes in La Plata County, said County Clerk Linda Daley. But larger counties will have to re-do their whole systems, Daley said, and it's getting too late in the year for such major changes. "It makes (county clerks') jobs a lot harder, and I do not want Colorado to be a laughingstock. It could turn out that way," Daley said. The Legislature plans to offer $3.5 million to help counties that face costly changes. Gordon said it should be enough money, but Daley doubts it.
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Colorado Daily News - Still waiting

http://coloradodaily.com/articles/2008/02/26/news/c_u_and_boulder/news3.txt...
Elections officials in several Colorado counties are currently breathing easier, but Boulder County is still waiting to learn if its voting system will be certified for use in 2008. Colorado's Secretary of State (SOS) Mike Coffman announced on Dec. 17, 2007, that systems from three different vendors would be at least temporarily decertified because they didn't pass certain components of state testing. The Hart InterCivic “Ballot Now” system, used in Boulder County and other counties to process paper ballots, was on the list. On Monday, Feb. 25, Coffman announced that Direct Record Electronic (DRE) machines from vendors Sequoia Voting Systems and Election Systems & Software (ES&S) would be conditionally recertified for the 2008 election. Arapahoe, Denver, Elbert and Pueblo counties use Sequoia DREs, while Jefferson and Mesa counties use ES&S DREs. Boulder County also owns conditionally certified Hart “eSlate” DREs, but chances are good that the 2008 election will be primarily conducted on paper ballots in precinct polling places. State Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon, D-Denver, and other legislators are sponsoring a bill that was officially introduced Tuesday which would call for “primarily paper and precincts,” but the bill must pass through the Senate and House before Gov. Bill Ritter could sign it into law.
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Dem convention hosts face cash crunch : DNC 2008 : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/dem-convention-hosts-face-cash...
The host committee responsible for raising the nearly $41 million for the Democratic National Convention now believes it may need as much as $9 million more to avoid a budget shortfall. Officials with the Denver 2008 Host Committee claim there are additional cash costs that it is responsible for beyond its $40.6 million contract with the Democratic National Convention Committee. For example, the contract calls for use of the luxury suites at the Pepsi Center, but host committee officials believe reimbursement totals for those suite holders will be $1.5 million over the contract amount. The contract also addresses staffing costs, including rent for downtown offices and host committee salaries. But host committee officials say that's almost $1 million more on top of the contract's $40.6 million. Chris Lopez, spokesman for the 2008 Host Committee, said they also have to come up with $1.5 million in security costs that aren't covered under the $50 million in federal funds for the convention. Finally, he said that if some in-kind donations don't materialize - something that has already happened - the committee could be on the hook for those bills in cash.
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Durango Herald Online - FLC to get polling place

http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&articl...
La Plata County commissioners on Tuesday approved a polling station at Fort Lewis College that will allow some students to vote on campus. Students have long complained about having to go downtown to the County Courthouse to vote. Now they will go to the Concert Hall. However, only students who live in Precinct 30, which includes the campus, SkyRidge and the Hillcrest Apartments, will be able to vote there. Students who live elsewhere in Durango will vote in the precincts where they are registered.
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County office holders may have easy re-election - Telluride, CO - The Daily Planet

http://www.telluridenews.com/news/x1637132991...