Tribune highlights "inactive" list

Guerin Green of the North Denver Tribune has written an article entitled "One hundred thousand voters disenfranchised for May election" which summarizes the current controversy, as well as efforts to have the policy reversed:

Following the Denver Election Commission’s decision to make 117,038 registered Denver voters “inactive,” local advocacy groups are strongly urging the City and County of Denver to reverse the decision and grant voters the ability to cast their ballots in the May 1st, 2007 election. Those voters can request ballots from the Election Commission, but many will face the inconvenience of going downtown to exercise their rights. Compounding the issue is the sonorous nature of this year’s contest, where in most of the city, there is little campaign activity.

Voters face an April 20 deadline to “activate” themselves and receive a mail ballot, but they won’t receive one automatically like those who weathered hours-long lines to vote in 2006.

“With more than 20,000 voters leaving the polls in Denver on November 7th, 2006, the Denver Election Commission’s decision to not mail ballots to the additional 50,000 voters who voted in 2004 is adding insult to injury,” said Rich Pelletier, Colorado State Director for America Votes. “It is all of our sincere hope that the DEC will reverse its decision and not multiply the awful effects of the 2006 election here in Denver.”

Mayor John Hickenlooper continues to incur criticism over Denver’s election mess, though he is only partially responsible for the Election Commission, with one appointee to the otherwise elected troika. That criticism has emboldened gadfly John Wren to attempt to rally write-in candidates against the Mayor.

Denver Election Commission spokesman Alton Dillard says the Election Commission has ordered four hundred thousand ballots, enough for all of the “inactive” voters. Voters in Denver unsure of their status can call the Election Commission at 720-913-8683 to reactivate or confirm their status.