With Tina Peters on the ballot, Colorado’s GOP Secretary of State primary paints stark differences over elections

The place they stand on all mail voting

Peters helps eliminating Colorado’s follow of sending mail ballots to each voter. As a substitute she thinks they need to solely be accessible on request for these residing with disabilities or who’re out of state throughout an election. 

“We’ve got to get again to what will be safer for the vote, as a result of if we’ve got insecurities in our election processes, it dilutes the vote of the eligible voter,” she stated. 

Anderson helps protecting the present election guidelines in place. 

“I imagine that we’ve got an ideal system right here in Colorado. As county clerk, I led reforms like ensuring that each voter has a voter-verified paper poll. After I speak about voting integrity, I imagine it is ensuring it is honest and correct and accessible.”

O’Donnell stated Colorado’s present system, which was created by a 2013 legislation, has been in place for too lengthy now to attempt to undo it. 

“Folks have gotten very used to that. It is potential the laws might do it, however it’s gonna be one thing that will be very unpopular,” he stated.

Each O’Donnell and Anderson are essential of the state’s transfer to an opt-out mannequin of automated voter registration, which they argue has resulted in inaccurate registrations cluttering the voter rolls. 

The place they stand on using digital voting machines 

Whereas all Colorado voters get paper ballots within the mail, machines are deeply concerned within the state’s elections.

Most counties depend on digital methods to scan and tally their returned ballots. Vote Facilities are additionally required to have machine voting accessible to make it potential for individuals with disabilities to fill out their ballots independently. 

Over the previous two years, lots of the conspiracies concerning the 2020 election have come to concentrate on election tools and debunked claims that it may very well be used to modify votes and rig outcomes.

O’Donnell opposes a brand new state legislation that requires nearly all counties to make use of machine tallies and never rely solely readily available counts. He stated counties ought to have extra leeway in figuring out which varieties of machines to make use of, however that the state’s expertise general is overdue for an improve.

“The machines we use in Colorado are compliant with 2005 federal requirements. They are not compliant with 2021 requirements. That issues me,” he stated. “Having machines that had been as safe as we probably might, can be necessary for the state shifting ahead.” 

Colorado final required clerks to purchase new voting tools in 2015.

Anderson stated she helps the present voting system and believes there are already satisfactory checks and balances — like required accuracy exams earlier than elections and sturdy audits afterward — in place. 

She stated she want to enhance and standardize coaching for election judges on issues like verifying the signatures on returned ballots. 

“We’ve got a signature verification information that the judges use. We’ve got some finest practices that we make the most of and share, however they’re optionally available on the county degree,” she stated. “By and huge, most of our state does make the most of them.”

Peters believes that any time a machine is concerned in an election it may be hacked. She needs to see Colorado cease utilizing machine tallies altogether and as a substitute require hand counts for all elections.

“We do not want machines,” she stated. “We will use machines to confirm the hand rely if you need, however I believe that is a waste of cash to the individuals of the counties.”