October 11, 2012
2 Jeferson County Election Guide 2012
A guide for the Jeffco voter This annual election guide highlights questionnaire responses from the most local races in the regional coverage area. This includes Je erson County races, RTD races, the Congressional District 7 race and all state House and Senate races in the Arvada, Golden, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge region. The guide also highlights ballot questions. Look for continuing coverage in our newspapers throughout the month of October and through the Nov. 6 general election. We encourage all Je erson County residents to vote. Please send your comments and questions to editor@ ourcoloradonews.com Website links Colorado Community Media ourcoloradonews.com Je erson County www.co.je erson.co.us/ elections State election information www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/ elections Arvada www.ourarvadanews.com Golden www.ourgoldennews.com Lakewood www.ourlakewoodnews. com Wheat Ridge www.ourwheatridgenews. com Cover photo taken by Andy Carpenean.
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Options for voters in the 2012 presidential election By Glenn Wallace gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com
Election season is upon Jefferson County, and while a barrage of political ads might tell voters all the reasons why or why not to vote for a given candidate, it can be hard to know exactly how to go about voting in the first place. For general voting information, the Jefferson County web site www. votejeffco.com can provide a wealth of information. Questions can also be answered by calling 303-2718111.
Registering Step one for a prospective voter will be to ensure that he or she is registered to vote. The last deadline to register for the Nov. 6 presidential election was Oct. 9. Voters can go to the Jeffco Elec-
tions Division at 3500 Illinois St., Suite 1100, in Golden, county motor vehicle offices, any statewide driver’s license offices, or go online to www.govote colorado.com to register, or confirm their status and address. They can also indicate if they would prefer a mail-in ballot. Be aware, Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler has warned that some 800 people who registered on GoVoteColorado.com on a mobile device between Sept. 14 and 24 did not have their information recorded due a computer glitch. Gessler’s office has asked anyone who may be affected, try and confirm their registrations before the election deadline.
Mail-in ballots Registered voters who confirm that they want to vote by mail will start receiving their ballots on Oct.
15. Registered voters must request a mail-in ballot by Oct. 30 to have one mailed out. The mail-in ballots can be picked up in person from the Elections Division office, or at any county motor vehicle division until Nov. 2. Once filled out, and sealed in their return envelopes, voters may either pay the postage for the mailin-ballot, or drop it off at multiple sites across the county, including early voting sites (see below), at any Jeffco municipality city hall during regular business hours, or 24-7 at the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder’s Office drop-box (100 Jefferson County Parkway).
Early voting Jeffco voters can vote early at specific locations, Oct. 22 to 27, and Oct. 29 to Nov. 2. Hours vary between locations, but they include the county administration building (100 Jefferson County Parkway), Jeffco Department of Motor Vehicles officers in Arvada (6150 N. Wadsworth Blvd.
Suite 320), Evergreen (4990 County Hwy. 73), Lakewood (20th and Wadsworth), and the South Service Center (11139 Bradford Rd. in Littleton). Jeffco libraries at Stanley Lake, Belmar and Columbine will also offer early voting.
Election Day The polls will open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at local polling places. A list of precinct polling places will be available at www.votejeffco.com. Voters are encouraged to vote between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the crowds are the lightest. Voters in line to vote before 7 p.m. will still be allowed into the ballot box. Voters must provide an acceptable form of ID to be allowed in the ballot box. Acceptable ID can include a state driver’s license, U.S. passport, military ID, Medicare or Medicaid card, college ID, or even a current copy of a utility bill that lists a current address.
Voters to decide school funding Ballot questions 3A and 3B would support Je co schools By Cassie Monroe cmonroe@ourcoloradonews.com
Campaigning for and against ballot issues 3A and 3B has been heard around Jefferson County throughout the summer. District representatives note Jeffco Public Schools will be able to continue normal operations during the 2012-13 school year, but if the Legislature does not increase funding for the 2013-14 school year, the district will face $45 million in budget cuts. The ballot issues include a proposed bond and mill-levy — or property tax — increase, that will be on the Nov. 6 ballot. Jeffco Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Steve Bell said the $39 million mill levy override, known as 3A, would go to the district’s general fund for day-to-day operations, educational programs, maintenance, salaries and supplies. The $99 million bond package, 3B, would support capital projects, such as buildings, repairs and renovations. In order to fund the increases, the average homeowner in the county would pay about $14.76 per year per $100,000 in assessed value. For the average Jeffco homeowner, this would be about
This pie chart shows what the money raised from the tax increase to support ballot issue 3A would be used for in Je co schools. Graphic courtesy of Je co Summit Budget Reduction Recommendations $3.06 per month. Two opposing groups have emerged in the county. Citizens for Jeffco Schools is in support and Jefferson County Students First is opposed. The majority of Jefferson County Board of Education members are in support of the tax increases. School board member Laura Boggs is opposed. Citizens for Jeffco Schools representatives are in support of the bond and mill levy, stating it will strengthen the district. Kelly Johnson, co-chair of the group, said she and other supporters believe strong schools benefit the community by providing an educated workforce, attracting business and maintaining property values. “Both issues, 3A and 3B, are a
very modest request of the taxpayers to provide quite a lot for the schools,” Johnson said. “We wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t important.” She said the last time Jefferson County taxpayers were asked to make a contribution to the schools was for the 2004 mill levy. She said if the measures are passed, 600 jobs in the schools will be maintained, the district will not have to use furlough days, and critical repairs needed in the schools will be made. The opposing side, represented by Jeffco Students First, says schools do not need extra funding to operate. Sheila Atwell, chair of the group, said she and supporters
believe it is unfair for the district to ask for increased funding from taxpayers, and they should use the funds they already have more efficiently. “We feel it isn’t necessary,” Atwell said, “the economy being where it is, and that is why school funding has gone down.” For more information about Citizens for Jeffco Schools visit www.supportjeffcoschools.com, and for Jeffco Students First visit www. jeffcostudentsfirstaction.com.