Democracy, elections, and voting at Democracy Chronicles

EL PASO CT, CO – New postal voting reforms have inspired an unfortunate but routine partisan debate in Colorado. Democrats and Republicans are fighting to find some middle ground on proposed voting reforms in Colorado. The Durango Herald lists some of the changes in question:

Coloradans would vote primarily by mail, and they could register to vote on Election Day under a bill Democrats are proposing at the state Capitol. Neighborhood polling places at schools and churches would be a thing of the past, and in-person voting would happen at a few centralized voting centers in each county, if the bill passes.

Republicans have slammed the changes, citing budget concerns and opposition to the practice of leaving inactive voters on the active list after a missed election. In a recent press release, El Paso County Clerk Wayne W. Williams noted, “I asked my office to estimate the cost of making the changes in this rewrite.  Net cost increases from this bill in El Paso County will be $695,900 in 2014.” Adversely, the Daily Caller reports that 74 percent of El Paso County voters already voted by mail in the last election. Republican Secretary of State Donetta Davidson argues,

“There’s going to be some cost up front to mail the ballots, but it’s going to save money in the long run. Think about how much we’re spending on election equipment, and when you have this expensive equipment you have to fix it. You’re saving a lot of money right there.”