Video Story
Watch VideoPueblo County Clerk says Colorado ready for election
Story By: David Ortiviz
Source: KOAA
Published Fri Oct 17, 2008, 05:29 PM MDT
Updated Fri Oct 17, 2008, 09:03 PM MDT
The Pueblo County Clerk wants everyone to know Colorado is ready for the up-coming election. This despite a report published Thursday that says Colorado is one of the 10 least prepared states in the country.
The report says Colorado is one of the least-prepared states to deal with a potential voting system breakdown on election day. But the Pueblo County Clerk Gilbert Ortiz strongly disagrees.
"Some people out there are saying Colorado is not prepared and I disagree with everything they say," Ortiz said. "Across the board, statewide, we're prepared," he added.
The report gave Colorado low marks in a few areas, including ballot accounting and contingency plans. "We have to write contingency plans with our security plans with the secretary of state's office," said Ortiz.
Ortiz says Pueblo County has prepared for everything from a blizzard to a blackout on election day. "If the electricity never went on county-wide, which I think is very rare to happen, we could run those ballots thru a C-4 optical scanner with the generators we have over there," said Ortiz.
That's not to say, they're perfect. In 2006, three voting machines were accidentally left at some precincts in Pueblo on election night, and it was several days before results were counted and finalized. Ortiz says mistakes can happen. "Anything can happen in this day and age, but we have planned for most things," said Ortiz.
At this point election workers are mainly concerned about long lines on election day. Ortiz reminds voters to be prepared so the lines can move faster.
