Let’s vote sign welcoming electors outside the Chaffee County Clerks Office. Dan Smith photo
- Democrats 35
- Republicans 28
- Unaffiliated 33
- Other 0 (confidential voters are excluded)
Timothy Burt – Chaffee County Republican Party
J. David Holt – Chaffee County Republican Party
Pamela Holt – Chaffee County Republican Party
Pamela Callaway – Chaffee County Republican Party
Carle Linke – Elaine Allemang
Carle Linke – Jerri Raski Registered Agent, Keep Salida Ghetto
Kim Callaway – Chaffee County Republican Party
Bruce Carr – Adriane Kuhn
Keith Kirchner -Adriane Kuhn
Note that Kuhn still had one more election watcher to sign up later Friday.
The Chaffee County Democratic Party did not appoint any poll watchers; only election judges.
Chaffee Clerk and Recorder Lori Mitchell confirmed with news media that she will send information to the appointing authorities with regard to the schedule of election activities. It is important to note that it is up to these authorities to communicate with their watchers as the watchers are working for them; it is not the Clerk and Recorder, who is fulfilling her state-designated duties.
Mitchell shared an email from Carle Linke with watcher questions, which was apparently repeated in a certified letter to the Clerk and Recorders Office with a copy to Jerry Raski and Dragonfly Gifts.
“I redacted names in the body of the email as it is a crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce an election official while they are performing official duties or to retaliate against them for performing their official duties,” said Mitchell.
The letter makes demands regarding where Linke wants to work, requests the schedule (which a county clerk shares with authorities, not to individual watchers), and appears to ask for special watcher considerations:
“I am most interested in being at the counting center. So with this letter I am requesting that arrangements be made to make space for at least two watchers INSIDE the counting room at the fairgrounds. It is not possible to attest to the accuracy of this election by looking through dirty wired glass at the back of electronic screens. I have a stool to sit on and shouldn’t take up too much space.
Linke brings up Rule 8 related to proximity to observe elections and goes on:
Per a video recording of _________________________________orders. This is not the only means, nor the only authority that will be receiving this Notice of Request. As I did not want to take the chance that my request would be overlooked??? as it was during the primary election. With that, forgive me for the short notice, but I will need your response by Tuesday 6 p.m. as I have a meeting concerning this soon thereafter. [what meeting, she does not say]
She ended with:
Unfortunately the relationship with your watcher contacts, such as ‘ _ _ _ -is unacceptable, and is a great hindrance to me performing the obligation which I have lawfully agreed to accomplish. Also, knowing that you are on the ballot, and will not be performing the duties that you are used to doing on-site, I’m requesting for you to be my watcher contact, giving you the authority to inform your election employees and Election workers of Watcher rights and needed accommodations.
Linke’s message reveals a certain lack of “play your position” sensitivity; it comes across as telling an experienced Colorado-designated county clerk how to do her job. Others might say she is simply passionate about her task. But Linke has caused problems related to election-watching duties in the past.
Mitchell has provided the news media with her watcher accommodation plan, including the observation area, job staffing, number of watchers, and reasonable proximity. It is fully approved by the State of Colorado.
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