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Election 
Tue Sep 20, 2011 at 08:27:37 AM MST
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( - promoted by Fong)
Below is a letter from Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer about our grassroots campaign for the school board here in Denver. The letter went out to hundreds of supporters and activists. Gov. Schweitzer's endorsement follows endorsements from (among others) City Council president Chris Nevitt, State Rep. Joe Miklosi, City Councilwoman Deb Ortega, Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher and State Sen. Evie Hudak.
Gov. Schweitzer is coming to Denver to support the campaign in the next few weeks. In the next week, check our website at www.sirotaforschools.com for details about the event. I'd love to see you there! - Emily
Dear Friend,
As the governor of Montana, I know that my home state and Colorado face many similar challenges when it comes to education policy.
That's why I'm writing to tell you some great news: You have the opportunity to support a bright, talented and dedicated mom who is running for the Denver Public Schools Board of Education right now - Emily Sirota.
I first met Emily many years ago when she was working on Capitol Hill - and I was as impressed with her then as I am now. When I was elected governor of Montana, I was thrilled when Emily agreed to work in my Economic Development office on many of the very education challenges you are facing in Denver. She worked collaboratively with the business community, workforce leaders, K-12 leaders, the university and community college system, and government leaders to improve educational opportunities for Montanans.
Emily spearheaded the effort through the Economic Development office to increase access to quality, affordable early childhood education. Thanks to the work of Emily and others in our administration, we were able to enact full day kindergarten across the state in my first term as governor.
When Emily left our administration and moved to Denver to get her degree in social work, it was a big loss for our administration. But we knew our loss would be your community's gain. She is a brilliant, motivated and compassionate person who has an incredible breadth of experience. If you elect her to the school board, she is going to bring the same skills and independence to the job that she brought to us here in Montana.
So when you cast your ballot for school board in the upcoming 2011 election this Fall, vote for Emily - and then tell all your friends to vote for her, too. And if you can volunteer for her campaign or make a donation to her campaign, do that too at www.sirotaforschools.com.
As someone who knows Emily well and who worked with her on many of the education issues that the Denver School Board now confronts, I can tell you she's the right person for the job.
Sincerely,
Gov. Brian Schweitzer
P.S. Save the date - I'll be in Denver in mid-October for an event to support Emily's candidacy. In the next week, go to www.sirotaforschools.com for details about the event.
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Sun Jul 24, 2011 at 09:51:47 AM MST
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Are our elections safe? Well, mostly. They are kept safe by having a lot of different people watching all the moving parts. And, by a belief that if something went terribly awry, someone would say something. Well, in Saguache County in 2010, in a very close election, some very, very fishy things happened. Marilyn Marks wrote a piece that is published in today's Denver Post.
Surely the most mistake-ridden election in recent Colorado history has received little attention, although it is Colorado's "canary in the coal mine" of elections. A statewide grand jury report declared that numerous irregularities are routine in Colorado and therefore not subject to legal remedies. Many problematic election activities not viewed as blatantly fraudulent are deemed "substantially compliant" and therefore free from enforcement.
Do the following examples from Saguache County's November 2010 election for governor, senator and local races satisfy you as "good enough for government work"?
After a bipartisan citizens' canvass board refused to certify election results due to irregularities, the clerk unilaterally issued a certificate of election renewing her own job.
What's the point of having a canvass board if the clerk can overrule them, and in her OWN election!?
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Wed Apr 20, 2011 at 19:30:46 PM MST
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Denver's Mayoral race is coming down to the wire with 4 potential candidates still in the mix - Michael Hancock, Doug Linkhart, James Mejia, and Chris Romer.
This race shines a spotlight on the direction of our political process.
Does one become elected to higher office through public service or by means and connections to the wealthy?
In the case of Hancock, Linkhart and Mejia, public service to Denver was accomplished either by serving on the City Council (Hancock and Linkhart) or in the administration of the Mayor (Mejia).
Chris Romer took a different path to higher office.
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Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 15:41:07 PM MST
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Right now, the balance of power in the Colorado house is teetering on the outcome of a very close race in my very own House District (29). The race was so close that the provisional ballots, election day drop-off ballots and every single vote really needs to be counted to determine the true winner. County wide, thousands of ballots have not been counted because the envelope wasn't signed, or the signature didn't match the signature on file. These are hazards that come with a mail-in election. At the polls, the election judges work with each voter to make sure the technicalities are covered. The folks filling the ballot out at the kitchen table, have no such help. The County Clerk will send a letter to the people who made these mistakes, but there is a very short window to resolve the matter before results are certified. Is sending a letter enough?
The claim we hear over and over is that mail-in voting is cheaper. Where do these voters fit into that picture? Do we have an obligation to mail-in voters to provide them the same assistance in following the process that we would give an in person voter? If that costs money because it requires phone calls, multiple letters, additional voter education, etc., isn't that a cost we should factor in? Are we willing to discard a certain number of votes because the overall convenience and "cost savings" of mail-in voting is so tempting? I don't know. With so much hanging in the balance, from who will represent me in the State House, to who will hold a majority for Colorado, I'm feeling like every vote needs to count and be counted.
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Tue Nov 02, 2010 at 12:37:42 PM MST
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(Go Bob Wilson! - promoted by Fong)
We have been hearing a lot about the statewide offices, but all the races are important. The actions of the RTD board help determine whether or not we have a healthy transit system. Right now we have an opportunity to create a world-class transit system, but a weak economy and resistance to change are creating obstacles. I wanted to know how the candidates for RTD Board would move toward the future, so I asked them a few questions.
Both candidates for District L (Bob Wilson and Lorriane Anderson) responded. Here are their answers.
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Tue Oct 12, 2010 at 06:59:43 AM MST
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In the next three weeks, you will have an opportunity to participate in your democracy by voting. There is nothing more patriotic or important to your country than your participation in elections. Below are my observations and recommendations for how to vote in this election. I do not speak for anyone but myself with these comments. Even if you disagree with me, your voice should be heard. I hope you will vote. If you want more information about the races specific to your ballot, I recommend www.vote411.org . I lifted much of this from that site. Since this is so long, I'm putting a "cheat sheet" at the beginning for quick and easy reference.
General resources:
www.vote411.org
www.donthurtcolorado.com
www.backseatbudgeter.com
www.bellpolicy.org
www.colorado.gov/taxtracks
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Wed Aug 11, 2010 at 20:21:32 PM MST
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Ever since I discovered squarestate.net, it has been a forum for progressives to air their internal disputes. I have stayed out of it for many reasons but through it all, democracy has prevailed. I don't like all the outcomes of last night's primary. Some people I care about and supported will not be going on to the general, but we did have a free and fair election.
The second most painful thing about democracy is that my causes don't always win. But, the most painful thing is when people allow the losses to drive them away from the process. Our world is not decided during any one election. I thought we would never recover from the travesty we saw in 2000. But now that is so long ago, you may not even know what I'm talking about. If your leadership is not exactly the one you want, the answer is not to be less involved. The answer is to be MORE involved. I know it's hard when you work tirelessly for a cause you believe in and still fail. But the larger cause that you have worked for has not gone away.
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Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 05:58:31 AM MST
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 If you're registered with a political party you should be receiving your primary election ballot in the mail very soon. The commercials are going to increase and the fights of Norton v Buck and Bennet v Romanoff are going to get real scrappy. I look forward to normally uninvolved people expressing great inconvenience at the emotive reactions felt during their normally programmed commercial breaks.
Cry babies :'(
According to the Colorado Secretary of State, Democrat and Republican party registration numbers for the entire state of Colorado as of June is
Dems: 817,458
Reps: 855,667
Unaff: 765,849
And, as Eluning points out in the comments, the Libertarians have their own primary with nearly 8,000 registered Libs.
If you have any questions or need resources from your County Clerk & Recorder, you can find contact information here.
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Sun May 30, 2010 at 13:34:25 PM MST
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I have been working a job since November. I have put countless hours of effort into this endeavor, and in that time I have received $300 in compensation. Over the 7 months I have worked with this organization I have been paid a little more than $40 a month. At about 30 days a month that breaks down to around $2 rounded up a day.
So yes, my job is totally taking advantage of me, and you know what? I LOVE IT.
In the interest of transparency I included this disclaimer to appear in my comments once our organization started soliciting funds and donation here online.
FULL DISCLOSURE - I'm a paid employee of PeanutButterPAC, a progressive PAC founded right here at DailyKos.com. (and the blogosphere at large)
Now, to further the interest of FULL DISCLOSURE, here is the full financial report of PeanutButterPac as of this date.
More below the fold
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