Colorado's election system is out of control

Ginette Dennis December 5, 2005
Colorado Secretary of State
1700 Broadway
Denver, CO 80290

Dear Ms. Dennis:

It is vital that you and I meet privately as soon as possible.

As you might recall, we notified you in our October 9th letter that the voter registration project is untrustworthy and in serious trouble. Your predecessor ignored our many recommendations, beginning June 3, 2003, and our warnings to not enter into the contract (see attached). We offered you our specific suggestions regarding the incompetently conceived system. You should be congratulated for “pulling the plug” on the Accenture contract; knowledgeable people are very upset that it took so long.

Colorado’s entire election system is in urgent need of reform. October 9th we recommended six specific actions for you to take to resurrect Colorado’s failed election system. So far, with the exception of the Accenture contract termination, either nothing or, as with the case of Rule 45, something bad has been permitted to happen. From our perspective:

1. Non-secret ballots. State has taken no action to protect voters from the use of non-secret ballots.
2. Non-existent accountability and transparency. State is collaborating with various counties to block independent oversight of the November 2005 election.
3. Harmful election rules. State, on November 10th, adopted the incompetent and harmful Election Rule 45.
4. Incoherent election system. State has done nothing to bring competent professional talent and the public into its election system development process.
5. Inadequate Voting Equipment RFP. State has not recalled the incompetent and harmful RFP for Election Voting Systems - CDOS-RFP-2005-001.
6. Untrustworthy voter registration system. State has done nothing to bring competent professionals and the public into the registration system development process.

You’re getting your input from the wrong people – elections staff. The thinking and procedures of the elections staff has been seriously corrupted. They are not accountable to the people. Their work is not technically competent. They are not being measured against standards for secure, accurate, verifiable and transparent elections.

Immediate reform is urgently required. When can you and I meet?

Al Kolwicz
CAMBER
Citizens for Accurate Mail Ballot Election Results
2867 Tincup Circle
Boulder, CO 80305
303-494-1540
AlKolwicz@qwest.net
www.users.qwest.net/~alkolwicz
http://coloradovoter.blogspot.com/