Update: According to the
Denver Post Denver polling stations are starting to run out of provisional ballots.
Update 2: Republican SoS Gigi Dennis has weighed in on the fiasco being watched nationwide
At 1:30 p.m., Secretary of State Gigi Dennis released a statement saying that things were going smoothly, statewide, and saying that voters should not count on the Denver court extending voting hours.
"Please do not depend on polls being kept open late," Dennis wrote. "If you are at the polls by 7 p.m. you will cast a ballot. All voters in line will be able to vote."
Now back to the original story:
There are reports coming in from all over Colorado about polling places closing because they can't get the machines to work. Unfortunately the largest problems appear to be in Denver. Denver made the brilliant decision of going to "polling centers" instead of neighborhood polling places.
The largest problem being reported is that the registration computers are moving at a snails place which is leading to very long lines. From what I'm hearing only 25% of the voting machines are in use at any given time due to the bottleneck.
The Rocky Mountain News has a great picture of Bill Ritter waiting in line at the polls.
According to the Denver Post they have magically spread the registration to two new servers which, according to them, are making the lines move a little faster. Now the Colorado Democratic Party are trying to keep the polls open longer to make up for the long lines.
Democratic party leaders are planning to seek a two-hour extension for voting in Denver, due to massive computer problems which have created long lines, and kept many from casting their vote.
Party spokesman Brian Mason said a motion is being prepared, in response to "the huge problems in Denver this morning."
The problems began right at 7 a.m. as computer problems at the voter-check in stations bogged down, creating a bottleneck in the first hour of voting as a rush to the polls overloaded the system.
Power failures slowed voting at some locations, Denver Election Commission spokesman Alton Dillard said.
If you look at the Denver Post's Denver Election Blog you'll see exactly what people are going through.
Here is a good example:
I waited 2 hours to vote at Wash Park this morning -arrived at 7am, expecting to have to wait. The problem was NOT mechanical difficulties... I'm sure if those existed they were fixed within a reasonable time and the delay was minimal. The problem was the check-in process. 4 people checking in voters...plenty of voting machines, but they can't be used efficiently. The precinct system was MUCH better than the Vote Center system. And while I understand not wearing political messages (pins, shirts, etc.)when you vote since it's a personal endorsement, I can't believe you can't read a newspaper while you wait just in case there is political ad. I had my Wash Park Profile (community paper)taken away by an election judge. RIDICULOUS!
For those of you in Denver not wanting to wait in long lines you can check Fair Vote Colorado or ProgressNow Action for estimated wait times.
Also... in Arapahoe County the Dakota Valley polling station is closed.
In Douglas County the Grange polling station is closed.
In Jefferson County the Bethel Christian Fellowship precinct has moved to Lakewood New Life Church at 5250 W. 1st Ave
Here is another article on all of the glitches being encountered statewide
Action Alert
Lawyers are standing by at 1-888-SAV-VOTE to collect reports of machine problems, long lines, no paper ballots, electronic incidents, etc. to prepare legal action.
Even if you have called other election protection numbers, this is the where the lawyers are. They are ready to follow up with legal action and can't do it with out your help.
1-888-SAV-VOTE is a VoterAction.org effort
I'm starting to think the nation will be cheering while Colorado sits in stunned silence. NO CONCESSION SPEECHES!
DENVER - The lawsuit filed against the City and County of Denver Tuesday requesting polling places be kept open until 9 p.m. Tuesday has been denied.
The hearing, which began at 12:45 p.m., was heard by Judge Sheila Rappaport who denied the request just after 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Democrats, witnesses and poll watchers testified that several voters left after they could not vote in a timely fashion due to the technical problems which occurred at various Denver polling places.
The Republican Party had said they do not believe the delays warrant an extension of the polling times because statutes and federal law mandates a 12-hour election period and anyone in line by 7 p.m. will get to vote no matter how long it takes.
Denver Democrat, Rep. Diana DeGette, called the election process in Denver "a nightmare." DeGette says the problem is the new vote centers replacing the old precincts have slowed the system. She also says the laptops used to check people in were failing throughout the day.
Full Story here
Surprise Surprise!
The judge that denied the 2 hour extension requested by the Democrats was appointed by none other than Bill Owens.
OWENS APPOINTS SHEILA ANN RAPPAPORT TO 2ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
DENVER - Governor Bill Owens today appointed Sheila Ann Rappaport of Denver as a judge in the Second Judicial District (Denver). Rappaport is replacing the Hon. Edward A. Simons who will retire on July 1, 2000.
"Sheila Rappaport's remarkable knowledge and experience as a prosecutor, specifically in domestic violence and child abuse cases, will be an asset to the bench," said Gov. Owens. "I believe Ms. Rappaport will serve the people of Denver with the utmost integrity and fairness."
Sheila Rappaport is the chief deputy in the Denver District Attorney's Office specializing in domestic violence, child abuse, and child homicide cases. She has prosecuted more than 40 cases of child abuse that have involved the death of a child. She has practiced law with the Denver District Attorney's office for the past 22 years.
Rappaport is on the board of directors for the Denver Children's Advocacy Center and the Denver Domestic Violence Task Force. She volunteers for the Denver Public Schools' (DPS): Options for Kids tutoring program and Courtrooms to Classrooms program, a collaborative effort between the Denver DA's office and DPS. Rappaport received her juris doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law.
The annual salary for this position is $86,090. The initial term of office for a district court judge is a provisional term of two years, after which the incumbent must run for election to serve an additional six years.
Press release here