In light of the fast-approaching election, The Journal sat down with Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder Kim Percell.
On Oct. 2, Montezuma County invited the public to check out its Logic and Accuracy Test at the Clerk and Recorder’s office.
“Basically, we want to make sure all of our equipment is tabulating correctly,” Percell said.
What they do is have judges come in and randomly vote on the ballot. They then process those ballots through tabulation machines, and double check its results with a hand tally.
“It’s just a pre-election test,” she said.
Percell said most concerns people voice deal with the tabulation machines. People have even asked the commissioners if they could count votes by hand instead.
The machines have never been incorrect, Percell said.
“And nine times out of 10, when we do the logic and accuracy testing, the part that holds us up and the part we have the most difficulty with is the hand tally,” she said.
What’s more, Percell said they’ve really beefed up physical security.
“We have cameras in every drop box, there’s a 24-hour camera. We have cameras in the election room – there’s four of them – and we have door security so everyone that goes in the room has to log in and log out,” Percell said.
They review camera footage each day, and each night, it’s backed up for records.
Plus, she said there’s “bipartisan teams” every step of the way.
“If we pick up ballots, there’s two people that pick them up, there’s two people that bring them in,” said Percell. “We log when they’re picked up by those two people, we log when they’re brought into the office, so there’s dual logs on every step of the process.”
The ballot this year is 17 inches long, which is undoubtedly large, but not unheard of.
“We’ve had a 22-inch ballot in the past,” she said. That one was two pages.
As the election gets closer, “make sure your … ballot is going to go where you want it to go, and if you have any questions, come by and see us,” Percell said.
Check out the county’s website and below for important dates.
Fast facts
Important Dates
Oct. 11: Ballots mailed to eligible voters
Oct. 21 to Nov. 4 (Monday-Friday): At the Montezuma County Annex (107 N. Chestnut St.), the Cortez Vote Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2: The Cortez Vote Center in the Annex Building will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 4: The Towaoc Vote Center opens 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 485 Sunset Blvd., the Ute Mountain Ute Community Center.
Tuesday, Nov. 5 – Election Day: The Cortez, Towaoc, Mancos and Dolores vote centers are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
24/7 dropbox locations
Starting Oct. 11: Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, 140 W. Main St. Ste 1 in Cortez.
Starting Oct. 21
Dolores Town Hall, 601 Central Ave. in Dolores.
Mancos Town Hall, 117 N. Main St. in Mancos.
Cortez City Hall, 123 Roger Smith Ave. in Cortez.
Lewis Post Office: 18794 Hwy. 491 in Lewis.
Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Headquarters: 125 Mike Was Road in Towaoc.
Polling Locations (On Nov. 5, all are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Montezuma County Annex 1, 107 N. Chesnut in Cortez.
Ute Mountain Ute Community Center, 485 Sunset Blvd. in Towaoc.
Mancos Public Library, 211 W. 1st St. in Mancos.
Dolores Public Library, 1002 Railroad Ave. in Dolores.
