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Election site mislabels Democrats

Secretary of state spokesman says glitch being fixed

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 24, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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Adams says she was appalled by the state Web site problem.

Adams says she was appalled by the state Web site problem.

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A legislative candidate uncovered a glitch in the secretary of state's Web site that lists Democrats' party affiliation as "unaffiliated."

Denver Democrat Liz Adams said she was appalled by the error, which the secretary of state's office says is being fixed and is "not a problem."

Adams sent an e-mail to 1,500 people reminding them that the presidential precinct caucuses are Feb. 5. She included a link to the state elections Web site, where voters can check their precinct and get other information.

Adams said she checked her own registration after some friends called to say they went to the link and discovered they were wrongly listed as unaffiliated voters.

Adams, a registered Democrat since July 12, 1990, discovered that she also was listed as "unaffiliated."

"I am so angry about this, I can't tell you," she said.

Secretary of state spokesman Rich Coolidge said the office is working to fix the site.

But he disagreed it was a problem, saying that if voters check with their county clerks, they will get the correct information.

Adams remains upset by the error, however.

"It is unacceptable to think that even one person may choose not to attend the caucus based on the inaccurate information on the secretary of state's Web site," she said.

Only registered Democrats and Republicans can participate in the caucuses. Unaffiliated voters cannot.

Caucus-goers will participate in a straw poll, indicating their preference for president.

They also will select delegates to various assemblies, where candidates are nominated. That's why candidates want as many of their supporters as possible to attend them.

Adams is one of five Democrats running to succeed House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, who is term-limited.

bartels@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5327

Comments

  • January 23, 2008

    4:29 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    anya writes:

    How convenient for the Republican Party! Isn't Mike "I Don't Even Know What Conflict of Interest Is" Coffman a Republican? It's sure funny how that rascally software only mis-identified Democrats. I'm sure it's "Just a Glitch."

    From the article: '...the secretary of state's office says is being fixed and is "not a problem."' Sure, it's not a problem for Republicans, so it must not really be a problem.

    The Colorado Secretary of State's Office and the voting machine mess in Colorado really make our state look bad. I hope that the governor and legislature step in here to fix this. We should not be relying on Coffman for any fixes to problems.

  • January 23, 2008

    4:47 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Art writes:

    Does anybody trust Coffman these days? After the certification issues with the voting machines and now this it makes one wonder how the election will be handled regardless of what methods we use.

  • January 24, 2008

    7:30 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jacka writes:

    As an unaffliated voter I feel the secretary of state should change the law to allow me to vote in the D/R primaries.

    Why am I without my franchise to vote?

  • January 24, 2008

    11:04 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jbowen43 writes:

    This system is broken. It's broken because of the string of republican secretaries of state whose agenda doesn't include accurately tallying votes nor encouraging voter participation in the election process. I testified before a senate committee about voters who were deleted from the registered voter files between the primary and general elections after they voted in the primary. They had their registration card from the county clerk when they showed up at the pols where they had to0 vote by provisional ballot, then after the general election they were informed in writing that they were not registered. No one knows if their votes counted. What do you think?