Updated voting results

The updated voting results for Denver's 2007 municipal election are now online at the Election Commission website and provided below for your convenience.

Results are listed as:
Candidate - Votes Received / Total Votes - % of Votes Received

MAYOR
John Hickenlooper – 68,374 / 79,231 - 86.3%
Danny Lopez – 10,024 / 79,231 - 12.7%
Write-In Candidate - 833 / 79,231 - 1.0%

AUDITOR
Dennis Gallagher – 55,948 / 71,612 - 78.1%
Bill Wells - 15422 / 71,612 - 21.5%
Write-In Candidate - 242 / 71,612 - 0.3%

CLERK AND RECORDER
Stephanie O'Malley – 50,741 / 65,270 - 77.7%
Jacob Werther – 14,127 / 65,270 - 21.6%
Write-In Candidate - 402 / 65,270 - 0.6%

COUNCIL AT LARGE
Doug Linkhart – 41,555 / 101,288 - 41.0%
Carol Boigon – 31,952 / 101,288 - 31.6%
Carol Campbell – 27,144 / 101,288 - 26.8%
Write-In Candidate - 637 / 101,288 - 0.6%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
Rick Garcia – 5,203 / 5,459 - 95.3%
Write-In Candidate - 256 / 5,459 - 4.7%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 2
Jeanne Faatz – 6,712 / 6,872 - 97.7%
Write-In Candidate - 160 / 6,872 - 2.3%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 3
Paul Lopez – 1,611 / 3,544 - 45.5%
JoAnn Phillips - 541 / 3,544 - 15.3%
Mark Roggeman - 389 / 3,544 - 11.0%
Kathy Sandoval - 386 / 3,544 - 10.9%
Ben Romero - 363 / 3,544 - 10.2%
Niccolo Casewit - 162 / 3,544 - 4.6%
Antoinette Alire - 75 / 3,544 - 2.1%
Write-In Candidate - 17 / 3,544 - 0.5%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 4
Peggy Lehmann – 6,166 / 9,676 - 63.7%
Ike Kelley – 2,063 / 9,676 - 21.3%
Bill Rutherford – 1,415 / 9,676 - 14.6%
Write-In Candidate - 32 / 9,676 - 0.3%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 5
Marcia Johnson – 7,149 / 9,336 - 76.6%
Mitch Poindexter – 1,344 / 9,336 - 14.4%
R.J. Ours - 818 / 9,336 - 8.8%
Write-In Candidate - 25 / 9,336 - 0.3%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 6
Charlie Brown – 7,265 / 7,583 - 95.8%
Write-In Candidate - 318 / 7,583 - 4.2%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 7
Chris Nevitt – 2,983 / 6,420 - 46.5%
Shelly Watters – 1,749 / 6,420 - 27.2%
Julie Connor – 1,214 / 6,420 - 18.9%
Dennis Smith - 424 / 6,420 - 6.6%
Write-In Candidate - 50 / 6,420 - 0.8%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 8
Sharon Bailey – 2,295 / 6,431 - 35.7%
Carla Madison – 1,803 / 6,431 - 28.0%
Darrell Watson – 1,728 / 6,431 - 26.9%
Greg Rasheed - 486 / 6,431 - 7.6%
Write-In Candidate - 119 / 6,431 - 1.9%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 9
Judy Montero – 2,726 / 3,724 - 73.2%
Waldo Benavidez - 961 / 3,724 - 25.8%
Write-In Candidate - 37 / 3,724 - 1.0%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 10
Jeanne Robb – 6,676 / 6,862 - 97.3%
Write-In Candidate - 186 / 6,862 - 2.7%

COUNCIL DISTRICT 11
Michael Hancock – 4,549 / 4,643 - 98.0%
Write-In Candidate - 94 / 4,643 - 2.0%

REFERRED QUESTION 1A
DA Term Limits
YES – 55,934 / 73,445 - 76.2%
NO – 17,511 / 73,445 - 23.8%

TURNOUT
Total Active Registration - 189,527
Total Turnout - 80,566 - 42.51%
Mail - 80,536
Absentee - 29
Emergency - 1
Provisional- 0

Where are all the ballots?

Turnout remains light for the 2007 Denver municipal election. Mark Mehringer of Colorado Confidential reports that with 2 business days left to vote, only 55,820 official ballots have been received.

29.5% of active voters (or 15.4% of the total voter registration list) have fulfilled their civic duty. Where are the rest of you?

Full details available online at "29.5% of Denver Ballots Returned So Far."

Please don't mail your ballot, because they must be RECEIVED by 7 pm on Tuesday.

Dropoff locations and hours can be found at the Election Commission website.

Got ballot?

If you haven't gotten a ballot yet for the May 2007 municipal elections, you still may be eligible to pick one up. Contact the Denver Election Commission, as per their news release below:

NO BALLOT? CONTACT DENVER ELECTION COMMISSION

Active Denver voters who haven’t received their ballot for by their regular mail delivery time on Wednesday, April 18, should contact the Denver Election Commission to get a replacement ballot form.

The DEC can be reached at 720-913-VOTE (8683). The office is located at 303 W. Colfax Ave. Dept 101 and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 20.

Beginning Monday, April 23 through Friday, April 27, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and also on Monday, April 30. The DEC will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day and replacement ballots may be requested on Election Day.

Ballots must be returned to the Commission by 7 p.m. on May 1. Ballots received after 7 p.m. will not be counted regardless of postmark.

Deactivated voters in a sonorous campaign

Guerin Lee Green of the Cherry Creek News provides a good overview of the controversy and fallout of the Election COmmission's decision to decommission Denver's active voter list in "One hundred thousand voters disenfranchised for May election." An excerpt is provided below:

“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.”

...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.

You should have your ballot by now

If you haven't received your ballot yet, it's time to be worried. The Denver Election commission has issued the following press release regarding ballots:

Active Denver voters who haven’t received their ballot for by their regular mail delivery time on Wednesday, April 18, should contact the Denver Election Commission to get a replacement ballot form.

The DEC can be reached at 720-913-VOTE (8683). The office is located at 303 W. Colfax Ave. Dept 101 and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 20.

Beginning Monday, April 23 through Friday, April 27, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and also on Monday, April 30. The DEC will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day and replacement ballots may be requested on Election Day.

Ballots must be returned to the Commission by 7 p.m. on May 1. Ballots received after 7 p.m. will not be counted regardless of postmark.

YouTube videos on election neutrality in Denver

As reported earlier by Colorado Confidential, former Denver Election Commissioner Jan Tyler is offering a 10-part series of videos on YouTube on the topic of election neutrality.

Feel free to peruse her entire list of videos, or simply review some of the recent topics:

• Common Cause and inactive voters
  
• Same-day voter registration
  
• Benefits of an election commission
  
• Problems with mail ballots
  
• Illegality and neutrality in elections

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.

Official notes regarding Denver's "inactive" voters

Below is an informative email sent out by the Denver Election Commission, forwarded to Denver Politics by State Representative Anne McGihon:

Current Voter Registration Statistics for Denver County
Active Voters: 186,029
Inactive Voters: 175,794
Total Registered: 361,823

Why voters are “inactivated” for failing to vote:

• On February 2, 2007, 117,038 voters move from “Active” status to “Inactive” status, pursuant to C.R.S. 1-2-605(2) which states, “A registered elector who is deemed "Active" but who fails to vote in general election shall have the elector's registration record marked "Inactive (insert date)" by the county clerk and recorder following the general election.”
  
• Confirmation Cards were mailed to these 117,038 voters, pursuant to C.R.S. 1-2-605(6)(a), which states, “No later than ninety days after any general election, any registered elector whose registration record is marked "Inactive" and who has not previously been mailed a confirmation card shall be mailed a confirmation card by the county clerk and recorder.”

Who can receive a mail ballot in a Mail Ballot Election:

• Only Active Registered Voters can be mailed a mail ballot, pursuant C.R.S. 1-7.5-107(3)(a) which states that “Not sooner than twenty-five days before an election, and no later than fifteen days before an election, the designated election official shall mail to each active registered elector…”
  
• The Denver Election Commission must have ballots available in office for “Inactive” voters, pursuant C.R.S. 1-7.5-107(3)(c), which states “No sooner than twenty-five days prior to election day, nor later than 7 p.m. on election day, mail ballots shall be made available at the designated election official's office, or the office designated in the mail ballot plan filed with the secretary of state, for eligible electors who are not listed or who are listed as "Inactive" on the county voter registration records...”

An “Inactive” voter can become “Active” and receive a ballot by taking one of the following steps:

• Return the confirmation card mailed in February or the post card that will be mailed within the next week.
  
• Contact the Denver Election Commission to request a ballot for the May 1, 2007 General Election.
  
• Please note, to have a ballot mailed to the voter, the voter must reactivate on or before April 20, 2006, pursuant to C.R.S. 1-7.5-107(3)(a), which states “Not sooner than twenty-five days before an election, and no later than fifteen days before an election, the designated election official shall mail to each active registered elector, at the last mailing address appearing in the registration records and in accordance with United States postal service regulations, a mail ballot packet, which shall be marked "DO NOT FORWARD. ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED", or any other similar statement that is in accordance with United States postal service regulations; except that with prior approval from the secretary of state, the packets shall be sent no later than ten days before election day.” (For a Municipal Election, the discretion to extend the deadline to mail ballots from 15 days to 10 days before the election falls to the Denver Election Commission.)(The ten day deadline to reactivate is Saturday, April 21, 2007. However, pursuant to C.R.S. 1-1-106(5), which states that “If the state constitution or a state statute requires doing an act in "not less than" or "no later than" or "at least" a certain number of days or "prior to" a certain number of days or a certain number of months "before" the date of an election, or any phrase that suggests a similar meaning, the period is shortened to and ends on the prior business day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, except as provided in section 1-2-201 (3).”
  
• If a voter reactivates after April 20, 2007, the voter will have to come to the Denver Election Commission to request and receive a ballot.
  
• An “Inactive” voter has until 7:00 p.m. on Election Day to request a ballot.

Proactive Steps being taken by the Denver Election Commission to reach out to those who were inactivated for not voting in the November 7, 2006 General Election:

• In addition to the Confirmation Cards that were mailed out to inactivated voters requesting they reactivate, we are mailing that same list of voters another mailing asking them to reactivate and including a brochure about the election. (Please note, this mailing will not include those voters who have already returned their Confirmation Card or those voters whose ballot was returned as undeliverable in the January 30, 2007 Special Municipal Election.)
  
• The Denver Election Commission will continue to send alerts to media outlets asking voters who are unsure of their status to call the Denver Election Commission as soon as possible to ensure they are able to exercise their right to vote.

Are You An Active Voter?

More than a third of the voters registered before last November's election have been taken off the "active voter" rolls.

This means that if you didn't vote in November 2006, you will have to make a specific request for a ballot.

If you haven't registered to vote at all, the last day to register to vote is Monday.

Denver Post reporter George Merritt offers valuable insight into an unsexy yet key question: that is, who gets a ballot?

The article, entitled Voters' List Idles 100,000, is excerpted below:

The Denver Election Commission has scrubbed more than 100,000 residents from the active voter list since November, creating one of the smallest such lists in recent years....

The change does not purge registered voters. However, only "active" voters will automatically receive ballots when the city sends them out early next month. Active voters are people who voted in the last general election - in other words, last November.

Councilman Doug Linkhart took issue with the move Tuesday, given what he called "extreme problems" during the November election...

Linkhart suggested the city mail ballots to the 287,000 active voters from the November election, instead of the updated list of 184,000.

But Election Commission executive director John Gaydeski said Denver's voter list needed to be updated.

"We had 52,000 ballots returned as undeliverable" in the January special election, he said.

Election Commission operations manager Matt Crane said the commission sent out about 117,000 cards to registered voters who did not vote in either November or January to see if they want to remain "active." About 7,000 people responded.

Assistant City Attorney David Broadwell said the commission had followed the law... But he acknowledged that he, too, had been curious about the low number of active voters.

He said the 184,000 ballots "may be the least number that we have mailed out in a mail-ballot election."