WRONG Ballots Sent To 15,000 Teller County Voters
Teller County, Colorado - A printing and mailing vendor error has caused chaos for about 15,000 voters in Teller County during the 2023 coordinated election. According to Secretary of State Jena Griswold, these voters received incorrect ballots with missing statewide ballot measures and local school board races.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold issued the following statement: “Teller County’s Clerk notified the Department that the county’s ballot printing and mailing vendor sent an incorrect ballot to some Teller County voters. Affected voters will be sent a new ballot. The Department will continue to work with the Teller County Clerk to provide the support and oversight needed to carry out the 2023 Coordinated Election.”
The clerk and recorder said voters who received a ballot with the code PO-UPRHS in the upper right corner have received an incorrect ballot and should destroy the ballot and envelope.
County Clerk Stephanie Rees discovered the error just one day after the ballots were mailed out. In a statement, Rees explained that the incorrect ballots only had one question on them and were labeled with the code “PO-UPRHS” in the upper right corner.
The clerk's office is advising affected voters to destroy the incorrect ballot and accompanying envelope.
The same vendor responsible for the error is working to fix the problem, and replacement ballots will be sent to impacted voters by Friday. For those who have already returned their incorrect ballots, they will be voided upon receipt of the replacement ballot. And for those who do not return the replacement ballot, their vote will still count for the races that were correctly listed on the first ballot.
Teller County, located west of Colorado Springs, is home to approximately 22,000 registered voters. This mistake has caused a great deal of frustration for voters who were eagerly anticipating the opportunity to vote in the 2023 coordinated election.
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Voters have until October 30th to return their ballot by mail, or until November 7th to return it in person at a voting center or drop box.
While mistakes happen, many Teller County voters are asking that the responsible vendor be made accountable for this mishap. They believe it is imperative that we ensure the integrity of our elections, and that includes holding those involved accountable for their mistakes.