Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And this is not something new by any means. It's
been something that presidents have in the past have been
trying to get rid of. President Trump has been very
vocal about because it is a state issue. States cast
their elections and choose how they want to hand you
your ballot in many different ways. I remember when I
was living in Florida, I had to actually request a
mail in ballot. If I wanted a mail in ballot instead,
(00:21):
you had to go to the polls here everybody, a
majority of Colorado's do receive their ballot by mail, whether
they choose to or not.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
And joining us now on the KOA Commic Spirit Health
Hotline is executive director for the Colorado County Clerks Association
and an elections subject matter expert. It is Matt Crane. Matt,
thanks for coming on with us. Want to get your
initial reaction as an election's official to what President Trump
is trying to do.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Well. Unfortunately, you know, it wasn't a surprise. It'd heard
that this might be something that's coming. But even when
you hear something in advance, when it actually happens, it's
still a little bit shocking when you think about, you know,
the federal overreach and what it would mean for Colorado elections.
It's really quite alarming and disturbing.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
You said President Trump's proposed policy is a bad one.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Why is that, Well, it's bad for a number of reasons. One,
you know, elections are run fundamentally by states and local jurisdictions,
and that's the way that that's the way that it's
set up in the Constitution, that's the way that it
should stay. I think the other thing that's really concerning
is that, you know, he says he's concerned about election integrity,
but the measures that he wants to do will suppress
(01:27):
voter turnout and it will make our elections less accurate
and less secure. When you're talking about getting rid of
voting machines and the tabulators we use to count the ballots,
that means going to hand counting ballots, which there's an
incredibly high error rate with counting ballots. And you know
when he complains about how long it takes to count ballots. Now,
if we're to go to hand counting ballots in a
(01:48):
large jurisdiction like Denver and or Rapaho, that could take
that could take weeks, two months.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Okay, we keep hearing a thing about voter fraud, how
prevalent is it or is it not? Is that a
real thing?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Well, voter front happens, but it doesn't happen very often.
It's not prevalent at all. And we have a lot
of you know, Colorado, our security processes have gotten more
and more mature every year. We have very very tough,
rigorous standards, you know, around signature verification, verifying eligibility. Our
voter list maintenance processes have gotten very strong. Even a
(02:24):
Heritage Foundation a couple of years ago Lott at Colorado
for the way that we go about handling our voter
registration list maintenance and making sure that that's accurate as
accurate as possible. So in Colorado, voters should vote with
confidence that our elections are secure and their ballots are
going to be counted just as they cast them.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Matt, it's not getting rid of mail in ballots. Should
there be any other changes in how Colorado currently conducts
their elections, You know.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
We always look for the ways that we can get
better in elections, both from an access and from an
integrity point of view. So as an election community, we're working.
But I think one thing that you know, we like
to remind people of is you know, we got to
mail ballot not because a group of election officials got
in the corner of a room and just say, hey,
this is how you're going to vote. We responded to
(03:12):
how Colorado citizens were asking to vote. We were the first,
We were one of the first states to go to
no excuse sts of p voting back in nineteen ninety eight,
and then we went to permanent mail in voting around
two thousand and five. So by the time we went
to sending everybody a mail ballot in twenty thirteen, over
seventy percent of Colorado, at least, as I recall it,
(03:34):
like in a Rapahoe when I was clerk, over seventy
percent had chosen to receive a mail ballot already. So
it just made sense. We were following the trends of
what the citizens were telling us. It was good customer service.
That's what we were doing. And that's why it's important
that these decisions stay at the state and local level.
The Fedral government, they have their roles and their responsibilities.
Quite frankly, you know, it seems like they're struggling in
(03:56):
some ways with those They should focus on what the
constitution gives them us focus on what the state and
locals are supposed to focus on.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I don't know if you know about Florida's rules, but
as you can imagine, we get a lot of Texters
and people that listen that are concerned. And that's maybe
a polite way of saying that many of them see
upset or really believe in the conspiracies. And we had
a text say that the mail in ballots he feels
or she feels as a joke. We used to know
results of an election the day of. Now we don't
know for some times up to a couple of weeks
and months. What is your reaction to that when you
(04:24):
hear that from a voter, Well.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
It's I think the devil's in the details there. And no,
you know, nobody's ever done counting ballots on election night.
The margins in a state are in a jurisdiction may
be so wide that the media and others can call
a race. But we don't certify an election until two
or three weeks after election day. And you know there's
a reason for that. We allow you a COVA ballots,
(04:47):
our militarian overseas voters to have eight days after the
election to return a ballots as long as it's postmarked
by election day. So things like that, that's important. We
think our military and overseas voters are military especially, have
earned every right to get their ballot in and we
do everything we can, especially people who are forward deployed
in active combat zones, to get their ballots back to us.
(05:09):
So that's why. But the other thing I think is
important here is we vote. We use paper ballots, and
it takes longer to account paper ballots with all of
these security controls that we have in place. So yes
that you know other states, you know it takes states
that have mail ballots and use these paper ballots. It
does take those states longer. But that's because we do
(05:31):
secure verification. We verify that you only return one ballot.
We give people voter credit to make sure they can't
return more than one ballots. So the reason that takes
longer is because we have more security in the process.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
With a little time that we have left, do you
believe President Trump's proposal will become a reality.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Well, I certainly hope not. I think there'll be lawsuits
before the ink is dry on it. And you know,
when you look at the Constitution. It's pretty simple that
the limited power the federal government has to regulate elections
belongs with Congress. So again we're concerned. That's another reason
we're concerned is because of the vast executive overreach here.
And it doesn't matter if you're a Republican or a Democrat.
(06:12):
You know, any attempt to expand power beyond the Constitution
is concerning.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I want to follow up with this as a bi
a front of question. It seems like that mail in
voting is more under attacked by those who identify as
Republicans than those who maybe lean Democratic. I want to
get your thoughts on as to why possibly and after
doing some a little more detail work on that, the
GOP seemed to make big mail in voting, you know,
mail in voting gains in states in the last election
like North Carolina, Republicans did more mail in voting than Democrats.
(06:40):
Same with Pennsylvania, two states that definitely probably lean a
little more. Read your thoughts on that.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Well, I think that's right. I think when you look
at it, the big reason why the republic from so
many in the Republican Party don't like now ballots now
is because President Trump lost an election. He continues to
say the election was stolen from him, which he doesn't.
So it's the loser's lament, right, We've sent it from
both sides. You know, years ago, when you know, Democrats
were not as fond as mail ballots because they weren't
(07:06):
winning elections. It's just it's the loser's lament and it
has no basis in reality. You know. The funny thing is,
you know, President Trump just had his meeting with the
Russian president and the topic of elections came up, and
Putin was saying, how you know mail ballots are so
ripe with fraud. They use electronics, they use internet voting Russia,
(07:26):
which is the most which is the most easily hackable
type of election there is. So for that to be
the impetus, or at least part of the impetus to
move on this is just laughable. So the whole thing
is based on lies and disinformation, and people just need
to stop messing with our elections when they lose. When
you lose, it's hard. I've lost an election. When you lose,
you just need to take it and work harder next
(07:47):
time and do better and not just say that the
system is rigged in undermine voter confidence because ultimately its
suppresses voter turnout, and that nobody should want that.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Executive director of the Colorado Conty Clerks Association. It's Matt Crane.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
M
And this is not something new by any means. It's
been something that presidents have in the past have been
trying to get rid of. President Trump has been very
vocal about because it is a state issue. States cast
their elections and choose how they want to hand you
your ballot in many different ways. I remember when I
was living in Florida, I had to actually request a
mail in ballot. If I wanted a mail in ballot instead,
(00:21):
you had to go to the polls here everybody, a
majority of Colorado's do receive their ballot by mail, whether
they choose to or not.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
And joining us now on the KOA Commic Spirit Health
Hotline is executive director for the Colorado County Clerks Association
and an elections subject matter expert. It is Matt Crane. Matt,
thanks for coming on with us. Want to get your
initial reaction as an election's official to what President Trump
is trying to do.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Well. Unfortunately, you know, it wasn't a surprise. It'd heard
that this might be something that's coming. But even when
you hear something in advance, when it actually happens, it's
still a little bit shocking when you think about, you know,
the federal overreach and what it would mean for Colorado elections.
It's really quite alarming and disturbing.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
You said President Trump's proposed policy is a bad one.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Why is that, Well, it's bad for a number of reasons. One,
you know, elections are run fundamentally by states and local jurisdictions,
and that's the way that that's the way that it's
set up in the Constitution, that's the way that it
should stay. I think the other thing that's really concerning
is that, you know, he says he's concerned about election integrity,
but the measures that he wants to do will suppress
(01:27):
voter turnout and it will make our elections less accurate
and less secure. When you're talking about getting rid of
voting machines and the tabulators we use to count the ballots,
that means going to hand counting ballots, which there's an
incredibly high error rate with counting ballots. And you know
when he complains about how long it takes to count ballots. Now,
if we're to go to hand counting ballots in a
(01:48):
large jurisdiction like Denver and or Rapaho, that could take
that could take weeks, two months.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Okay, we keep hearing a thing about voter fraud, how
prevalent is it or is it not? Is that a
real thing?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Well, voter front happens, but it doesn't happen very often.
It's not prevalent at all. And we have a lot
of you know, Colorado, our security processes have gotten more
and more mature every year. We have very very tough,
rigorous standards, you know, around signature verification, verifying eligibility. Our
voter list maintenance processes have gotten very strong. Even a
(02:24):
Heritage Foundation a couple of years ago Lott at Colorado
for the way that we go about handling our voter
registration list maintenance and making sure that that's accurate as
accurate as possible. So in Colorado, voters should vote with
confidence that our elections are secure and their ballots are
going to be counted just as they cast them.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Matt, it's not getting rid of mail in ballots. Should
there be any other changes in how Colorado currently conducts
their elections, You know.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
We always look for the ways that we can get
better in elections, both from an access and from an
integrity point of view. So as an election community, we're working.
But I think one thing that you know, we like
to remind people of is you know, we got to
mail ballot not because a group of election officials got
in the corner of a room and just say, hey,
this is how you're going to vote. We responded to
(03:12):
how Colorado citizens were asking to vote. We were the first,
We were one of the first states to go to
no excuse sts of p voting back in nineteen ninety eight,
and then we went to permanent mail in voting around
two thousand and five. So by the time we went
to sending everybody a mail ballot in twenty thirteen, over
seventy percent of Colorado, at least, as I recall it,
(03:34):
like in a Rapahoe when I was clerk, over seventy
percent had chosen to receive a mail ballot already. So
it just made sense. We were following the trends of
what the citizens were telling us. It was good customer service.
That's what we were doing. And that's why it's important
that these decisions stay at the state and local level.
The Fedral government, they have their roles and their responsibilities.
Quite frankly, you know, it seems like they're struggling in
(03:56):
some ways with those They should focus on what the
constitution gives them us focus on what the state and
locals are supposed to focus on.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I don't know if you know about Florida's rules, but
as you can imagine, we get a lot of Texters
and people that listen that are concerned. And that's maybe
a polite way of saying that many of them see
upset or really believe in the conspiracies. And we had
a text say that the mail in ballots he feels
or she feels as a joke. We used to know
results of an election the day of. Now we don't
know for some times up to a couple of weeks
and months. What is your reaction to that when you
(04:24):
hear that from a voter, Well.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
It's I think the devil's in the details there. And no,
you know, nobody's ever done counting ballots on election night.
The margins in a state are in a jurisdiction may
be so wide that the media and others can call
a race. But we don't certify an election until two
or three weeks after election day. And you know there's
a reason for that. We allow you a COVA ballots,
(04:47):
our militarian overseas voters to have eight days after the
election to return a ballots as long as it's postmarked
by election day. So things like that, that's important. We
think our military and overseas voters are military especially, have
earned every right to get their ballot in and we
do everything we can, especially people who are forward deployed
in active combat zones, to get their ballots back to us.
(05:09):
So that's why. But the other thing I think is
important here is we vote. We use paper ballots, and
it takes longer to account paper ballots with all of
these security controls that we have in place. So yes
that you know other states, you know it takes states
that have mail ballots and use these paper ballots. It
does take those states longer. But that's because we do
(05:31):
secure verification. We verify that you only return one ballot.
We give people voter credit to make sure they can't
return more than one ballots. So the reason that takes
longer is because we have more security in the process.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
With a little time that we have left, do you
believe President Trump's proposal will become a reality.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Well, I certainly hope not. I think there'll be lawsuits
before the ink is dry on it. And you know,
when you look at the Constitution. It's pretty simple that
the limited power the federal government has to regulate elections
belongs with Congress. So again we're concerned. That's another reason
we're concerned is because of the vast executive overreach here.
And it doesn't matter if you're a Republican or a Democrat.
(06:12):
You know, any attempt to expand power beyond the Constitution
is concerning.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I want to follow up with this as a bi
a front of question. It seems like that mail in
voting is more under attacked by those who identify as
Republicans than those who maybe lean Democratic. I want to
get your thoughts on as to why possibly and after
doing some a little more detail work on that, the
GOP seemed to make big mail in voting, you know,
mail in voting gains in states in the last election
like North Carolina, Republicans did more mail in voting than Democrats.
(06:40):
Same with Pennsylvania, two states that definitely probably lean a
little more. Read your thoughts on that.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Well, I think that's right. I think when you look
at it, the big reason why the republic from so
many in the Republican Party don't like now ballots now
is because President Trump lost an election. He continues to
say the election was stolen from him, which he doesn't.
So it's the loser's lament, right, We've sent it from
both sides. You know, years ago, when you know, Democrats
were not as fond as mail ballots because they weren't
(07:06):
winning elections. It's just it's the loser's lament and it
has no basis in reality. You know. The funny thing is,
you know, President Trump just had his meeting with the
Russian president and the topic of elections came up, and
Putin was saying, how you know mail ballots are so
ripe with fraud. They use electronics, they use internet voting Russia,
(07:26):
which is the most which is the most easily hackable
type of election there is. So for that to be
the impetus, or at least part of the impetus to
move on this is just laughable. So the whole thing
is based on lies and disinformation, and people just need
to stop messing with our elections when they lose. When
you lose, it's hard. I've lost an election. When you lose,
you just need to take it and work harder next
(07:47):
time and do better and not just say that the
system is rigged in undermine voter confidence because ultimately its
suppresses voter turnout, and that nobody should want that.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Executive director of the Colorado Conty Clerks Association. It's Matt Crane.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
M
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