Colorado election clerks plan only partial use of new system

By Myung Oak Kim, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Clerks in several large counties are so nervous about the new $13 million statewide voter registration program that they plan to use their old systems for most Election Day functions this year.

During simulated elections that ended Friday, clerks had problems accessing the system from polling sites and generating data reports. They also said the system, known as SCORE (State of Colorado Registration and Election) slowed down when many poll workers were connected simultaneously.

That's why clerks in Weld, Mesa and Larimer counties plan to use their county systems to check in voters on Election Day. Other clerks also want to limit the use of the new system this year.

SCORE "has great potential, and in a few years it's going to be one slick system," said Sheila Reiner, elections director for Mesa County, which uses electronic voting machines at vote centers. "But right now it's still under development."

Paper poll book in Denver

SCORE, which is more than two years late because of problems with the first contractor, was developed to comply with federal law that requires all states to have a uniform voter registration database.

SCORE's Colorado database is complete, and counties must use it in this election.

But some clerks plan to load the database into their own county systems - systems with which they're comfortable.

Other functions of SCORE are not finished, which worries election officials preparing for a primary just three months away.

Colorado is one of the last states to implement its voter database and one of the only states to use it for the first time during the presidential election. The cost has recently risen from $11 million to $13 million because more workers were needed to help counties use the system this year.

The secretary of state's office said it expected problems to surface during the mock election.

"The mock election didn't produce any surprises but did meet its objectives by identifying gaps in the system," said spokesman Richard Coolidge. "We currently are working with county clerks and recorders across the state to compile the issues identified in the mock election."

Counties that conduct elections using vote centers need to connect to SCORE or their county systems throughout Election Day to check in voters, make sure they haven't voted already and give them credit for casting ballots.

Many other counties will use paper poll books with names of voters and won't need to use SCORE extensively on Election Day.

Denver County saw huge lines in November 2006 because its new electronic poll book crashed. An estimated 20,000 voters left polling places without voting because of the delays.

Michael Scarpello, Denver elections director, said he will use paper poll books for the Aug. 12 primary and Nov. 4 general election.

He said his workers experienced minor problems with SCORE during the mock election.

"We think that the system is very robust. It does a lot of things, and it appears that eventually it's going to do a lot of things very well," Scarpello said. "Right now we're just ironing out a few wrinkles."

Slowness a concern

Adams County Clerk Karen Long isn't as enthusiastic.

"The jury is still out," she said.

Long, who uses electronic voting machines at vote centers, said poll workers couldn't get on SCORE to begin their elections during the Election Day simulation last week. It took more than an hour, with calls to the help desk, to fix the problem.

Weld County is worried about slowness in the system. The county had 40 election workers - about a third of the number expected to be working on Election Day - accessing SCORE simultaneously last week. Their computer screens went blank for up to 30 seconds before bringing up information screens.

Weld County is planning to use its county registration system to conduct most parts of the election this year.

"We're not trying to bash the system," said Weld County Clerk Steve Moreno. "This is going to be a great system - eventually."

Douglas County Clerk Jack Arrowsmith is worried SCORE isn't currently designed to generate an electronic poll book for combined precincts, the type of polling place he plans to use this year. Arrowsmith wants to use an electronic poll book to check in voters. If SCORE can't do that, he said, he plans to use his county system.

kimm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2361

What's the SCORE?

Election officials across Colorado are preparing for expected record turnouts in the Aug. 12 primary and Nov. 4 general elections. They will begin using a new voter registration system and database called SCORE.

* What is SCORE?

SCORE (State of Colorado Registration and Election) is the new statewide voter registration database being designed by Saber Corp. of Oregon.

* What does it do?

It maintains a computerized list of all eligible voters in Colorado and cross-checks voter information with other agencies to make sure names of felons or dead people aren't on the rolls. It also helps officials plan and administer elections, such as generating reports on which races a voter may cast ballots in and which workers are assigned to a particular site. It does not count votes.

* Why is SCORE necessary?

A 2002 federal law requires all states to have uniform voter registration lists.

* Can the public access SCORE?

No. The system contains strict security protections and only election workers are permitted to use it.

* How will SCORE affect me on Election Day?

It depends on what kind of voting system your county uses. Many counties, like Denver, will use paper poll books, and not SCORE, to process voters on Election Day. But other counties, like Adams, Weld and Larimer, will use computers to check in voters - and therefore will use either SCORE or their county systems. So the speed of the computer system will affect lines. If the database works slowly or crashes, lines will be long. That's what happened in Denver in 2006.

* How can I check my voter registration status?

You can contact your county clerk's office or go to "Elections Home" on the secretary of state's Web site: sos.state.co.us.