Park County Clerk and Recorder Debra Green filed official certified results from the hand recount (see original story below) completed last week. Changes in vote count allocations for ballot issues resulted from votes cast that were not read by the machines used in Park County, according to Green, but neither the results of the election nor the total number of ballots counted changed.

The votes unread by the machines showed up in the election day tally as "undervotes". If the number of undervotes is insufficient to change the result of the election, ballots are not normally recounted by hand. Part of the problem on some ballots, Green states, is a misuse of marking tools by some voters to complete the ballots. Ballot instructions specify using a #2 pencil or black marking pen. "If voters used the wrong pencil or a marking pen containing colored ink other than black, the machine does not pick up the vote," Green said.

However, the Clerk says she also has concerns with the accuracy of the particular vote counting machines used in Park County and other counties in Colorado. At least one other county has confirmed the same type of discrepancies as found in Park County, according to Green. These issues will be discussed at a meeting of county clerks with the Secretary of State in the near future. Green says that the findings in that meeting could result in the mandatory replacement of the county's 13-year-old voting machines.

Previous Update November 23, 2005:

A hand recount of Park County ballots ordered by the Colorado Secretary of State (see original story below) resulted in vote tally changes primarily from previous undervotes. The differences in vote totals do not change the outcome of any election issue in Park County.

Park County Clerk Debra Green was called out of town unexpectedly early in the week and unavailable for detailed comment on the vote count changes. Please check back next week for follow-up.

On Wednesday, November 16, Colorado Secretary of State Gigi Dennis ordered a hand recount of the 2005 election ballots in several Colorado counties, including Park. The recount requirement is a result of ballot count inconsistencies in Chaffee and Logan Counties where they use the Optech III-P Eagle voting machines, the same machines used in Park and ten other counties.

Pursuant to Colorado law, County Clerk and Recorders are always required to conduct a post-election audit and must randomly select not less than one percent of the voting devices used in each county, according to the Secretary of State's office. It was during this process that two counties using the Optech III-P Eagle equipment received varied results.

"I am asking the county clerk and recorders using the Optech III-P Eagle equipment to do their due diligence and conduct a manual hand count of these ballots," Secretary of State Dennis said. "I am requiring this to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the election."

The counties required to perform the manual recount of ballots are Bent, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Custer, Elbert, Fremont, Huerfano, Park, Pueblo, and Sedgwick. One of the two counties that showed inconsistencies in their audit is not on the list. Logan County had already started their recount based on the inconsistencies before the order was issued, according to Park County Clerk and Recorder Debra Green. Although most of these counties experienced no problems with their post-election audit, the Secretary of State is requiring the hand count to ensure the accuracy of the vote. "The post election audit was adopted into Colorado law to address these types of concerns," Secretary Dennis said. "No election results have been certified by my office, and I will not put my stamp of approval on any results until I am confident that the vote is accurate."

Preparations for the hand recount began in the Park County Clerk's office on Thursday with ballot box seals broken and ballots sorted by the six ballot types, according to Green. One ballot type - that of the Ute Pass special issue - was counted on Thursday. Green said that the ballot boxes were then re-sealed, locked up overnight, and counting began on the other five ballot types at 9:30 on Friday morning.

Park County is receiving assistance from five members of the Adams County election staff and two members of the Secretary of State's staff. In addition, Green has assigned three of her own staff to the project and six Park County Election Judges for a total of 16 people engaged in the count. Three people work in each of five teams to cross-check the tallies. One additional person is available as a "floater" to relieve others, according to Green. The Secretary of State's deadline for completing the recount is the date of this publication, Friday, November 18, 2005.