Secretary of state appoints election supervisor to Pueblo County for general election

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold appointed an election supervisor in Pueblo County on Monday to monitor the general election, citing a ballot misprint that might cause voter confusion.

The supervisor will work with County Clerk Gilbert “Bo” Ortiz, a Democrat. Ortiz also had an election supervisor during the primary election in June after the office printed and mailed a large number of incorrect ballots.

An election supervisor can monitor and direct the elections staff in the office to make sure all legal requirements for the election are met and to mitigate any errors.

Ortiz notified the secretary of state’s office on Friday that the general election ballot included a detachable tab with the words “Official Primary Election Ballot.”

“Although this tear-off tab is not a legally required portion of the official ballot, the misprint on this portion of the ballot creates a risk that voters will be confused as to whether the ballot they have received is the correct one for the General Election,” the order reads.

Teak Simonton, the treasurer in Eagle County and former clerk in that county, will serve as the election supervisor in Pueblo County. The county is responsible for the costs associated with Simonton’s work.

Griswold’s office appointed an election supervisor in Pueblo and Elbert counties during the primary election and sent additional support to Mesa and Alamosa counties. Simonton is the first secretary of state-appointed election supervisor in Colorado for the general election on Nov. 8. In Mesa County, a district court judge barred Clerk Tina Peters from overseeing the general election and appointed a new designated election official.

“Every eligible Coloradan – Republican, Democrat, and Unaffiliated alike – has the right to cast a ballot in accessible and secure elections. That’s why I am taking action to appoint an Election Supervisor in Pueblo County,” Griswold, a Democrat, said in a statement. “My Office will continue to work closely with the Pueblo Clerk and Recorder’s Office to ensure the county meets its obligations and duties for the 2022 General Election.”

Ortiz said his office will comply with the order but did not offer any further comment.