RBC | The 2-1 vote on March 15 by the Rio Blanco County Commissioners to move forward with a plan to “defund” the county’s Dominion voting equipment and go to a hand count resulted in the receipt of a letter from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.
The vote to amend the budget, removing the $14,000 line item for the state-certified voting system would have required a public hearing process before implementation. The Secretary of State’s office, however, responded to the plan Friday, March 18, stating:
“The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office urges Rio Blanco County to consider federal and state law implications when making its final decision. To the extent the Commission’s decision presages an intent to not use any voting system equipment for the coming 2022 General Election, the county will be out of compliance with federal and state law.”
Specifically, the Help America Vote Act of 2002, requires jurisdictions conducting elections that include a race for a federal office, must provide an accessible voting option through the use of “at least one direct recording electronic voting system or other voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities at each polling place.”
According to the letter, removing funding for the current system without replacing it with another certified electronic voting system would be a violation of the Help America Vote Act, as well as state law.
In order to remain in compliance, the county can either maintain its current voting system contract or purchase another certified system for use in the 2022 General Election.
Rio Blanco County purchased the Dominion voting system equipment in 2017 at a cost of $81,546, plus costs for onsite elections support and annual licensing and fees of $13,695, in response to changes in the Colorado state statutes.
At the time, the Dominion system was the only state-certified option. According to the Secretary of State’s letter, there is now another option available: Clear Ballot. The Clear Ballot voting system is used in Douglas and Garfield counties.
The group claiming election fraud occurred in Rio Blanco County and other counties, led by Shawn Smith, who gave a presentation to the county commissioners last year, is now the subject of a lawsuit brought by the Colorado League of Women Voters, among others, on allegations of voter intimidation. Members of the U.S. Election Integrity Project (USEIP) and other affiliated groups, have reportedly gone door-to-door, sometimes armed, seeking information from residents about their voter registration status, whether they voted in the 2020 election, and for whom they voted.
Members of the local group connected to USEIP were present at the commissioners’ meeting last week in Rangely, and spoke in support of defunding the voting system contract.
The topic was not on the agenda at this week’s commissioners’ meeting.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
