2026 Teller County Clerk and Recorder Town Hall Election Information

All About Elections Forum Information.

Thank you to everyone who showed up for the Teller County Assessor and Clerk and Recorder Town Hall last night. Great information was shared by both the Assessor and the Clerk. I posted information on Teller County property taxes earlier today.  

Thank you to the Teller County Clerk & Recorder's Office and the dedicated election judges and staff who work to administer our elections. 

An informed voter is an empowered voter. Be informed, ask questions, and make your vote count!

Election Judges & Security

✅ Colorado law requires the two major political parties to provide lists of potential election judges from their caucuses. Those lists must be exhausted before recruiting others.

✅ Election judges must pass a Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) background check.

✅ Election judges may need to commit to up to three weeks of service.

✅ Vote Centers and Election Central must maintain a balance of Republican and Democratic judges. Unaffiliated voters may also apply to serve.

✅ Voting equipment is tested before every election, followed by a post-election audit.

✅ All ballots are paper ballots; there are no electronic ballots.

✅ Election Central and 24-hour ballot drop boxes are monitored by video surveillance 24 hours a day, beginning 60 days before the election and continuing 30 days afterward.

✅ Surveillance cameras are checked daily, and election records, including ballots and video, are retained for 25 months.

Ballots & Voting

✅ Your physical address determines which ballot you receive. Neighbors may have different ballot questions depending on their special districts.

✅ The 2026 General Election ballot is 19 inches long and printed on both sides.

✅ Early voting and Election Day voting are counted the same way.

✅ Mail ballots and in-person ballots are not tallied differently.

✅ Provisional ballots are counted if the voter's eligibility is confirmed after the election.

✅ Voters are encouraged to return ballots early.

✅ A completed mail ballot can be brought to a Vote Center and used as a sample when voting in person.

Signature Verification & Voter Registration

✅ Every mail ballot envelope undergoes signature verification by bipartisan election judges.

✅ Questionable signatures are escalated to another bipartisan team for review.

✅ Staff audit signature verification judges daily for accuracy.

✅ SCORE, Colorado's statewide voter registration database, helps prevent duplicate voter records, although name changes and data-entry errors can occur.

✅ Voters sign their registration under penalty of perjury, declaring Colorado as their sole residence.

✅ There is a difference between "living" in an area and "residing" in an area. Statute for law enforcement states after you declare yourself a resident you are required to obtain a Colorado driver's license within 30 days and register their vehicle within 90 days. At the signature line of a voter registration, you are signing under perjury that CO is your sole residence.

Ballot Drop Boxes & Mailing

✅ Teller County has four 24-hour ballot drop boxes, although only two are required.

✅ The additional two drop boxes were funded through Homeland Security grants.

✅ Mailed ballots, even those mailed locally in Cripple Creek, are routed through a Denver USPS processing facility before returning to Election Central.

✅ Using a ballot drop box avoids potential postal delays.

✅ Voter information is sent to the ballot printing vendor two weeks before ballots are mailed.

✅ Changes to voter registration after that date can result in the original ballot being voided and a replacement issued.

✅ Undeliverable ballots create additional taxpayer costs. The previous election resulted in more than $1,300 in return postage expenses.

Voter Roll Maintenance

✅ Around the fifth of each month, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides information about potentially deceased voters.

✅ Out-of-state deaths may not be identified unless family members notify election officials.

✅ The Colorado Department of Corrections provides information concerning individuals with felony convictions.

✅ Registering to vote in another state does not automatically cancel an existing Colorado voter registration.

Election Administration & Costs

✅ Election preparation begins months in advance, and election cycles frequently overlap.

✅ Planning includes election security, election watchers, coordination with participating entities, and compliance with changing regulations.

✅ Six of the nine office employees are election-certified, with a goal of certifying all nine within the next year.

✅ The 2024 General Election cost $67,292.93, with portions reimbursed by the Secretary of State and coordinating entities.

✅ USPS has eliminated trash receptacles in certain common areas to help reduce potential voter fraud.

Fun Fact: Election workers lose between 100- 200 strands of hair everyday during election time. An average person loses 50-100. Be kind.