Editor’s note: this article has been corrected to reflect that Issue 6C is to provide Emergency Medical Service rather than added fire services.
The 2021 Election is fast approaching with Election Day being Nov. 2.
The upcoming election will consist of nonpartisan elections, local questions and state questions.
Fremont County Clerk Justin Grantham reminds residents to update their current registration, research and educate themselves on candidates and questions on the ballot, track their envelope, cast their ballot, and have faith in the staff and election judges.
Ballots in Fremont County will be mailed Oct. 11.
“It’s time to get out the vote and make your voice heard,” Grantham said.
There will be three school district elections: Cañon City Schools, Florence/Penrose Schools and Salida Schools, as well as Cañon City and Florence council and mayor candidates, three statewide questions, and local questions throughout the county.
The Cañon City Area Metropolitan Recreation and Park District will have Issue 6A and Issue 6B, a $30 million bond measure and a mill levy proposal of 3.5 mills, for the proposed community recreation center.
For the Cañon City Council election, Ashley Smith is running unopposed to keep her mayoral seat. Incumbent Frank Jaquez and Andrea Stein are vying for District 1; Mayor Pro Tem John Hamrick is running unopposed for District 3; Emily Tracy is running unopposed for one at-large seat.
Those vying for two Cañon City School Board seats include Todd Albrecht, Michael “Sean” Meagher, Molly Merry and Graceann Pittner.
The Florence Fire Protection District will have Issue 6C, a request for a mill levy increase for Emergency Medical Services.
Three Florence residents are running for mayor: Morrie Aves, Charlette Henager and Paul Villagrana. Anthony Esquibel and Anthony Puckett are running for Ward 1; Larry Baker and Melissa Hardy are running for Ward 2; and Allen Knisley is running unopposed for Ward 3.
Four individuals are running for two Florence-Penrose School Board seats: Andrew Dalton, Andy Franklin, Karleigh Purcell and David Wood.
The Town of Williamsburg also will have two questions to consider. Issue 2A is an increase in the town’s mill levy for roads and Issue 2B is for removal of revenue and spending limits.
Voters must live within the municipality or district to cast a ballot for those races or must meet state criteria to cast a property owner ballot.
“With so many different types of questions this year, it is very important to know which ballot you will receive and what questions will be on your ballot,” Grantham said.
Go to the county’s website at https://fremontco.com/clerk-and-recorder/elections or go to the County Building at 615 Macon Ave. to see a sample ballot.
“Be sure to return your ballot to the Clerk’s Office after you have completed it,” Grantham said.
Ballottrax will once again be available to everyone. It allows voters to track their ballot envelope from the clerk’s office to the voter’s mailbox and back to the clerk’s office again.
“This tracking system does not track your envelope when it is in transit, but rather tracks it by the location the envelope ends up,” Grantham said. “After you sign up, you can set up notifications to notify you when; we mail out your ballot envelope, we receive the envelope in the Clerk’s Office, and if we have accepted your signature on the envelope. This is just one way of submitting your ballot for the election.”
There will be multiple opportunities for everyone to cast a ballot.
The voting center will be located at 201 N. Sixth St. in Cañon City and will open Oct. 25 thru election night. There also will be four drop boxes throughout the county, located in Cañon City, Florence, Penrose and Cotopaxi. All drop boxes open on Oct. 14. For those who want to cast their ballot inside the Clerk’s Office, the drop-off location is 615 Macon Ave., Suite 102 in Cañon City and will open Oct. 11. For specific times, days and locations, look on the ballot envelope, instructions, or go to the clerk’s website.
“This year has also been one of the biggest years of scrutiny on how the country, Colorado, and Fremont County conducts elections,” Grantham said. “I cannot speak for the entire country nor all of Colorado, but I can speak for Fremont County. We have so many physical safeguards in place, including bi-partisan teams of judges, balancing ballots and envelopes, checking IDs, staff keeping registered voter lists updated, tests on equipment before each election by bi-partisan judges, audits and canvassing results completed by bi-partisan judges after the election is over, no single entry to sensitive areas where election equipment or ballots are located, background checks on all staff and election judges, and many more.”
He said that his staff and election judges are the best at what they do, including conducting elections in Fremont County accurately, fairly and truthfully.
“If you have a question about elections, come down to the Clerk’s Office and ask the experts and professionals that work in the field,” he said. “Your voice and vote matter and will be counted, as it always has been.”
Grantham reminds the public to update their registration.
“Whether you decide to cast your ballot in-person, by mail, or by dropbox, know that election judges and the Clerk’s Office will perform their duties with honesty, integrity, and by the law,” he said.
To update voter registration, go to www.govotecolorado.gov.
To see a sample ballot, go to https://myballot.sos.colorado.gov.
To sign up for or make changes to Ballottrax, go to https://ballottrax.net/voter/.
For dropbox and voting center information, go to https://www.fremontco.com/clerk-and-recorder/elections.
