Really pissed at Boulder Elections Commission

[Laffy Kat]

Back in August before my youngest son left for college, I made sure to take him to the Elections Commission IN PERSON to register to vote. He presented all of the correct documentation and we were told he was all set. Last November I thought it was odd that he didn't receive a ballot. I was going to forward it to his college for him to fill out and send back. It was to be his first time voting and he was excited about it. I never got the in the mail.

Today, I go online to see if he was registered. He wasn't. So I called. They registered him at the correct address, but wrong town. The ballot was returned to the Commission and we were never told. When I spoke to them they explained that their database doesn't have my address in my town but it does in the next town over, so they simply changed the twon to one that worked even though the zip code didn't match. Keep in mind my son had a Driver's License with the correct address and zip.

Am I crazy or should they have followed up a little better?

[KamaAina]

1. In Boulder?!

I expect this kind of crap in Red counties, but Boulder?!

[csziggy]

2. The CLERKS changed the town even though his ID had the correct one?

That is messed up. I would be talking to the supervisor of elections or whatever public official runs that office. Your son provided the correct information and the clerks took it upon themselves to change it. That act deprived your son of his right to vote in November.

It is not your son's fault that their database had the incorrect information. In fact that sounds ridiculous to me. Weren't you already registered to vote at that address?

Here is the person you should contact directly: Hillary Hall - http://www.bouldercounty.org/gov/officials/pages/clerkrecorder.aspx Her contact info is at the bottom of the page.

She should be VERY concerned about this error in her office. Her bio says:

During the 2013 legislative session, she helped champion the Colorado Voter Access & Modernization Election law. That legislation helped align election processes and resources with the way people vote and brought same-day registration to Colorado – a practice easy to accomplish in our computerized world.

In addition to modernizing Colorado’s election processes, Hillary has also been instrumental in passing legislation that has updated and streamlined outdated procedures for recording offices across the state. Such legislation has made Colorado a leader in the nation in implementing the e-recording of documents, saving the public time and trips to government offices.

I suspect that something in the "modernization" screwed up and lost your address - and maybe lost others. I wonder how many people who are registered to vote have not gotten their ballots and have dropped through the cracks in her new system?

[Laffy Kat]

4. I was registered to vote at my ex's house.

I had not yet changed to my new address because I hadn't changed my Driver's License yet. It's the same zip code, just the address is different. I got a ballot at my ex's house. Needless to say, had I changed my address at the Election Commission the same time my son registered, I would not have received a ballot either. When I talked to them on the phone today, I changed my address (didn't know you could do that) but now I'm worried that the same thing will happen with mine. I am going to keep a close eye on things and double check our registration status tomorrow on line. Again.

[csziggy]

6. Is your new address a new house?

If not I don't understand why it wouldn't show in their database. That sounds fishy to me.

[Laffy Kat]

7. This house is only about 3-1/2 years old.

Before they built this house it was part of the next door neighbor's yard, a corner lot. He sold the land and a developer built a duplex on it. My part of the duplex faces one street and the other faces the adjoining street, kind of L-shaped. I had A LOT of trouble getting wireless service because according to the city's database the house didn't exist, even though the other part of the duplex didn't have any trouble. I had to go to the city planner just to get the Post Office to deliver my mail, but it was straightened out eventually. Until recently most GPS's don't show me as existing. I UNDERSTAND the confusion, but why wasn't I contacted, especially since the Election Commission has been sending me emails about all kinds of things since I got Ryan supposedly registered. I signed up for email messages at the same time.

[csziggy]

8. Aah - that's the problem - but the clerks should NOT "correct" a voter's address

Especially if other ID correspond to the voter provided address.

I would contact the County Clerk who is in charge of elections and explain this problem to her. She needs to know of this weakness in their system so other voters are not deprived of their right to vote. And I would keep using that phrase when discussing this. Your son was wrongfully deprived of his right to vote in November and he should not have been!

Good luck with getting this fixed.

[Laffy Kat]

9. Exactly.

The person I spoke to today specifically told me that the registration form's address had been changed and she said, "I want to apologize for this." I do think I'll contact the County Clerk, however. I wonder how many people this happens to?

[csziggy]

10. I don't know about Colorado but here in Florida it is illegal

For anyone to change a voter registration form once the voter has signed it. It was part of the training we got when we were getting out the vote for the Obama campaign. This is something that should be asked of the County Clerk - if her office is changing voter registration forms SHE is on the hook for it. And if it is illegal in Colorado she has a serious problem.

Is there a TV station in Boulder that takes on consumer problems that might be interested in doing story on this? That could get people to check to make sure their voter information has not been tampered with by "well meaning" clerks.

[Laffy Kat]

11. Good idea. Thanks. nt

[SheilaT]

3. This is why all states should be required to allow people

to check their voter registration on line. Mistakes like this one are all too easy to make.

I'm pretty sure everywhere I've lived, when I've registered to vote, I've gotten a copy of the voter registration in the mail shortly after. That's a good check on whether or not everything was done correctly. But a returned registration or ballot needs to be followed up by someone in the registration office, and that's obviously not being done right where you are.

[Laffy Kat]

5. We can check ours online which is how I found out he wasn't registered.

I should have done it in last summer. I just assumed since we went there in person there wouldn't be a problem. Admittedly, I should have double-checked after my son didn't get a ballot, but it wouldn't have made a difference, at that point.