Grand County Clerk and Recorder shares information on voter registration | SkyHiNews.com

2022-10-09 10:26:38 By : Ms. Lily Zhang

Sara Rosene, the Grand County Clerk and Recorder, wants county residents to have complete and accurate information about how the county handles voter registration and the maintenance of voter records. She said this information might not be readily available, so she wrote a letter to the community on the topic.

The county’s elections office updates voter records every day, in a process that involves downloading information from several sources, collecting and scanning paper copies of forms, and processing any changes, Rosene said.

As for voters, Rosene said the registration and updating process on their end is very straightforward. She said voters can register and make changes through the mail and need only provide basic information like their date of birth and physical and mailing addresses.

“That’s one way, and there’s also online capability through GoVoteColorado.gov,” Rosene said. “And through, it’s called, Motor Voter. When you do your driver’s license, you can register to vote at that time, and that information comes across to us as well.”

Rosene emphasized that voters should check their registration online at GoVoteColorado.gov because mail-in ballots will be sent out Oct. 17. She talks about all that and more in her letter.

I remember many years ago how excited I was to vote for the first time at a polling center one block from my home in Des Moines, Iowa. Since then, I have had the fortunate opportunity to see that same excitement in many first-time voters in Colorado elections, whether they were new U.S. citizens or newly registered voters. 

Of utmost importance to me as your Clerk & Recorder is ensuring the proper registration of every citizen who is qualified to register to vote. Performing that responsibility requires us to use the many resources provided to County Election Officials to keep up with our ever-changing population and updating voter registrations as people move in and out of the county. 

For years, Colorado has been part of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). ERIC is a public charity non-profit membership organization comprised of 33 states and the District of Columbia. ERIC is an essential tool for Colorado’s list maintenance, it is how we get many of our death records, it is how we receive the National Change of Address (NCOA) updates, it is how we know if a voter has moved to another state and it is how we identify voters who voted in two states. The ERIC website is http://www.ericstates.org.

In addition to ERIC, Colorado counties receive information from the Colorado Department of Revenue, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Corrections and the United States Postal Service based on changes citizen make in their lives that may affect their voter record. As election officials, we make every effort possible to understand the changes that voters are making, and correctly update the voter registration records.

All of these tools allow us to stay up-to-date with the registration records. When records are downloaded to us daily, they are processed within 24-hours. If the change to the record requires correspondence to voters, that correspondence goes out quickly.

If a voter’s ballot or mail comes back undeliverable AND the voter and takes no action to update their record in response to our correspondence AND the voter does not vote in two general elections (which would require updating their record), counties must comply with Federal Law and cancel a voter’s registration.

While Clerks are provided these resources to update our records, we also rely on our citizens to take responsibility for their own information. There are many ways for voters to ensure that their records are current and accurate. Every voter can verify their own information at http://www.GoVoteColorado.gov. Also on that site, voters can update their physical address (to ensure they will receive the proper ballot), update their mailing address to ensure they will receive their ballot (which will be mailed on October 17, 2022 for the November 8, 2022 General Election), and update the “ballot address” in the record to have the ballot go to a different location (such as extended stays in warmer climates or visits with family). Voters who have moved out of state should cancel their registration at http://www.GoVoteColorado.gov so they are not registered in two states.

Once a voter has registered and/or updated their record, the County Election Department can use the information to mail the voter’s ballot. Voters will be notified when their ballot is mailed by enrolling in https://Grand.BallotTrax.net. Voters also will be notified when their ballot has been received by the County and then accepted for counting.

In order for a ballot to be accepted for counting, citizen Election Judges must review and accept the signature on the ballot envelope. A bipartisan team of citizen Election Judges receive training, and compare EVERY ballot envelope against the voter record. A voter’s record contains every signature that was provided to the County by way of ballot envelope, voter registration form, driver license record or any other document with a signature. The responsibility of signature verification is that of the local election official and the dedicated citizen Election Judges.

Local control and accountability is how elections are administered; the process allows and encourages citizen participation. To learn more about how ballots are counted, visit Grand County’s website. If you’d like to be a citizen Election Judge, please contact me at GrandElections@co.grand.co.us.

The Sky-Hi News strives to deliver powerful stories that spark emotion and focus on the place we live.

Over the past year, contributions from readers like you helped to fund some of our most important reporting, including coverage of the East Troublesome Fire.

If you value local journalism, consider making a contribution to our newsroom in support of the work we do.

Advocates for a Violence-Free Community in Grand County, CO is seeking an Outreach Coordinator. Duties include providing outreach and prevention…

Do you enjoy talking to people?Are you detail oriented? Are you good at teaching people to help them make informed…

Central Electric is accepting applications for projects in Grand and Jackson Counties Foreman, Journeyman, Service Technicians, & Apprentice Electricians. $17…

Now Hiring at our Summit County and Eagle County Locations. Financial stability, great employees, and exceptional customers. Pay Starts at…

Mountain Parks Electric, Inc. (MPEI) is seeking an individual to fill the position of General Manager located at our company…

Are you ready to lead a small but fierce team of award-winning journalists in one of the most spectacular regions…

YOUR PERFECT CAREER PATH ANB Bank hires individuals who provide excellent customer service and build meaningful relationships with our customers…

Construction Superintendent Salaried Position up to $100k (depending on experience level) plus bonus and benefits. This position will oversee every…

Now Hiring in Winter Park! Equipment and Facilities Specialist, Equipment and Facilities Coordinator, Volunteer Services Manager. Many perks including: Medical…

The Town of Winter Park is accepting applications for a full-time Equipment Operator I. Applicants must possess a valid State…

Share your photos on Instagram using #exploregrand or #skyhinews.

Do not sell my personal information