Absentee voting is all the rage this election season, according to a Rocky Mountain News story today. Distrust of electronic voting machines and a lengthy ballot are encouraging Coloradans to vote from the comfort of their homes. The Colorado Democratic Party began calling for voters to use absentee ballots after the certification of electronic voting machines was deemed “abysmal” by a federal judge, and many county clerks are urging people to vote absentee to ease long lines and the promise of spending 12 minutes in the voting booth.
Brian Mason, communications director for the Colorado Democratic Party, told Colorado Confidential the party is encouraging everyone to vote absentee.
“It’s clear that some of these machines very well may have problems on voting day, and so we’re urging everyone to vote absentee because it’s the safest way to make sure your vote will be counted,” he said.
Mason said the Secretary of State’s office had not proven its methods could be trusted.
“It’s a real mess over there. The kind of operation the Secretary of state is running…it’s in shambles,” he said. The Colorado Republican Party has not officially made the same call, but GOP candidate for Secretary of State Mike Coffman told the Rocky:
“There’s no question that the vote is going to be more secure voting absentee than showing up at a polling center … It’s a standard political tactic to get your base to vote absentee – because you know they voted and you don’t have to worry about bad weather on Election Day.”
County clerks across the state are encouraging absentee voting, too. They say they expect an increase in requests this year because of the size of the ballot.
“It’s going to be a lengthy ballot,” says Alton Dillard, communications director of the Denver Election Commission. “People should probably take the time to study it well in advance of election day.”
The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail is Oct. 31. Today’s Rocky article has a list Web sites where voters in each county can request an absentee ballot.
