Sunday, July 30, 2006

Denver Election Commission reform Denver officials are hoping to get new charter language on the fall ballot for reforming the Denver Election Commission, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "As the booths opened Saturday for the first day of early primary voting, a task force examining the Denver Election Commission announced its recommendations to prevent miscues, like the accidental loss of thousands of voters' personal records. At its fourth and final public hearing, the Election Governance Panel said that while it isn't calling for an overhaul of the commission, it is proposing operational changes. The changes seek to increase commissioners' accountability, according to Marcia Johnson, the panel's chairwoman. After a month of exhaustively studying the nuances regulating the three-member commission, and holding public hearings, the task force concluded that what the agency needs is more codification." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:05:16 AM

Early voting in Denver Early voting has begun in Denver County. Friday, August 4 is the last day for early voting prior to the primary on August 8th. Here's the DenverGov page for locating vote centers. They write, "The Denver Election Commission has unanimously approved the use of 47 sites to be used as Vote Centers for the 2006 Elections. Vote Centers replace the old "precinct" voting locations and any registered voter in the City and County of Denver can vote at any of the 47 Vote Centers. The transition to Vote Centers is also convenient for voters since there is no way for them to get to the 'wrong precinct,' and there will be anywhere from 8 to 20 or more voting machines/stations in each Vote Center. Vote Centers also help contain the skyrocketing cost of conducting elections by consolidating locations and ensure compliance with the Help America Vote Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act by having voting equipment that contains a voter verifiable paper audit trail and provides an independent voting experience for the disabled voter." Here's a list of voting centers from The Cherry Creek News. Category: August 8th Ballot 8:01:11 AM

Ludwig for Regent At-Large? Stephen Ludwig is doing all the right things, including visiting the lightly populated parts of the state, in his campaign for C.U. Regent At-Large. Here's an article about his visit to Cortez to campaign from the Cortez Journal. They write, "A candidate for University of Colorado regent made his way to Southwest Colorado this week to meet with area electors. Stephen Ludwig, a Democratic candidate for CU regent in Boulder, was campaigning in Cortez Friday morning. He acknowledged being a major backer of academic freedoms and a strong proponent for affordable education." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 7:52:00 AM

Ritter for governor? Here's a profile of Bill Ritter from the Denver Post. From the article, "...the 49-year-old career prosecutor defies easy packaging. The November election will test whether Ritter - who says he respects Roe vs. Wade as the law and has no anti-abortion legislation on his agenda - can overcome perceptions that he's a stealth social conservative or too slippery on some issues. For 12 years he was known as Denver's chief prosecutor, racking up a high number of convictions, expanding victim services and promoting alternative courts for drug offenders. But he also was dogged by complaints - even from his own prosecutors - that he turned his office into a 'social agency' by not focusing enough on combating crime directly. At the same time, he angered community activists by not prosecuting a single police officer in more than 70 cases involving force that either wounded or killed someone." Take the time to read the whole article. Category: Denver November 2006 Election 7:14:28 AM

Senate 32 From today's Denver Post: "Democrats in southeast Denver will pick one of three candidates for a Democratic-leaning seat that opened when Sen. Dan Grossman, D-Denver, decided not to run for a second, four- year term. "Rep. Fran Coleman, D-Denver, said she deserves to move to the Senate because she has been a key vote on crucial efforts to improve the state budget. "Coleman, 61, is a retired contract negotiator for US West. She said her expertise in financial matters helped shape parts of the legislation that became Referendum C. In addition, she said, she knows how to work at the state Capitol. "Jennifer Mello, a 34-year-old former House staffer who made a strong showing in a statewide Board of Regents race two years ago, said her experience would help her pass bills. "Mello said she wants to protect sick people from losing their homes in bankruptcies caused by medical bills and to set up a no-interest loan program that would help make energy-efficient home improvements more affordable. "Chris Romer, the 46-year-old son of former Gov. Roy Romer, touts his financial expertise and his fundraising prowess as assets for the Democratic Party in this fall's election. "Romer is public finance specialist for the international banking giant JP Morgan Chase. He said he has helped structure the financing for $10 billion worth of hospitals, highways, airports, assisted-living facilities and other projects in Western states. "'I bring the very practical day-to-day finance and budget skills,' Romer said. 'I want to make sure we put our money where our values are, which is health care and education. I don't view this as passing a few bills or representing a few interests. I want to put forward a strong message for the party on health care and education.'" Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:55:46 AM

© Copyright 2006 John Orr. Last update: 7/30/06; 10:43:18 AM.