County clerks across Colorado prepare for just about anything that could disrupt Election Day, from wildfires to electrical outages.
“We have contingency plans on top of contingency plans,” Larimer County Clerk Tina Harris said.
This year, those plans look slightly different for Adams County Clerk Josh Zygielbaum. He said it’s the first year his office has prepared for the possibility of the federal government getting involved.
“Whether it’s to come, you know, seize ballots or take machines or whatever it may be — first time we’ve ever planned for it, and so it’s been a little bit different this year, preparing for this particular election,” Zygielbaum said.
The U.S. Department of Justice notified Zygielbaum on Oct. 20 that it intends to send election observers to Adams County. The department said the monitoring is routine and is meant to ensure compliance with federal law, and that the observers will only watch and take notes.
The Justice Department helped Adams County in 2022 with the transition to providing ballots in multiple languages, but Zygielbaum said circumstances have changed since then.
“This is a little bit different, in that they’re coming here to, you know, look for things,” he said. “And you know, it potentially could be an attempt to intimidate voters.”
The Colorado Secretary of State’s office is seeking more details about the Justice Department’s request before responding to it. The observers would need state approval to enter secure, nonpublic areas, including where mail ballots are counted.
In Denver, Clerk Paul López encouraged voters to return their ballots early.
“At the end of the day, there’s only so much I can do as the clerk and recorder to, you know, keep things secure, safe and accessible,” he said. “But it’s up to voters to protect the democracy, and that’s just by voting. All you’ve got to do is take it to a drop box.”
López said election workers receive de-escalation training in case of conflict at the polling locations. Intimidating or interfering with voters is illegal.
“We shouldn’t be afraid to vote,” López said. “We shouldn’t ever be afraid to participate in this democracy.”
Election officials say it’s now too late to count on the U.S. Postal Service to return ballots by Election Day. Instead, voters should return their ballots in a drop box or at a voting center by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.
