Election judge raises concern over Republican party action

The two parties have different levels of concern over local election integrity

By Mark Reaman

A local resident who has acted as an election judge in Gunnison County for several recent elections as a representative of the local Republican party is expressing concern over recent actions by the party. Mel Miller, who is a lifelong Republican, has lived in the North Valley for more than six years and she feels she was booted out of the election judge position for not altogether unselfish purposes.

“I am frankly concerned with the process and what the party is trying to accomplish,” she said. “I was asked to be an election judge in 2020 and went through the training process. I have found the county process to be very thorough, secure and safe.”

Miller said she was asked by the county to again volunteer as a judge this June for the primaries and in November for the general and she had agreed. But she received a call from Gunnison County clerk and recorder Kathy Simillion telling her that the local Republican Party had asked the county to not use previous election judges. They instead provided a list of names to be considered and Miller was not on the list.

“The Election Judges list comes from the County Parties Assembly and Caucus function, which is great if they supply us with names of judges,” Simillion explained in an email. “In the past we have used Republican judges that returned year after year and the party chair, Jane Chaney, would sign off on the judges because they usually didn’t have any people wanting to be an election judge. We sent our list to the Party Chairs this year and the Republicans rejected our list and wanted us to use their judges, so we had to contact the judges that we have used in the past to let them know that their party did not want us to use them. It is in State Statue that the party supplies us with the list and we have to exhaust their list to move on to the other judge.”

The Republicans submitted 13 candidates to be election judges and the Democrats supplied 11. Two of the Republican nominees were taken off the list, so each party had 11 eligible names.

Gunnison County Republican Party chair Stu Asay said the party did provide a new list for Simillion to draw from this spring and no one should assume they will be automatically reappointed. “When the political parties conduct their caucus’ in the spring, election judges are voted on by those present at the caucus. By state law/rules, the party provides the list of those individuals to the county clerk,” he said. “The clerk’s office is to start the selection process from that list. If the list is exhausted, then the clerk’s office can appoint additional judges. I would encourage individuals from either party to participate in the process and not to simply assume they are automatically appointed for each subsequent election. Indeed, we will provide Ms. Simillion a new list of candidates for the November election.”

Asay said no one on the current GOP central committee recognized the individuals, including Miller, selected as election judges by the county clerk’s office. “The election judge process for the Gunnison County GOP followed state statute and election rules,” he reiterated. “The (new) judges for the primary have already completed their training. There will be more judges selected for the November election, and they will also receive training.”

Democratic Party chair Jim Starr said the party offered their slate of election judges to Simillion and most were people who had been serving in that capacity for years. “Having seen the process for years as I have, to see the Democrats and Republicans working together is a good example of trust and collaboration. While there are the occasional hiccups, the elections in Gunnison County are always smooth for the most part,” he said. “This county has trustworthy and transparent elections! It feels like it could be more challenging this year because of the unsupported accusations about election integrity and accuracy.”

Election integrity question

Simillion said the county will use 22 total election judges for the primary with more needed for the upcoming general election in November.

When asked directly if their local political party feels the Gunnison County elections have been fair, accurate and transparent in the past – and does the party have concerns about future local elections, the party chairs had differing views.

“The local Democratic party knows that the past county elections have been fair, accurate and transparent,” commented Starr. “We have no concerns about future elections, except for how those who don’t believe in the integrity of the process may try to influence their outcome and those who oversee the elections process.”

Asay said there are concerns from the Republicans about some of the local election processes. “The county’s staff strives to provide an accurate count of the ballots received. There are a number of issues to be resolved however,” he stated. “Consider for example students at Western University that pay out-of-state tuition and taxes, but register to vote in Gunnison County because they are transitory residents. It is not a fair representation. Ballot harvesting is difficult to monitor. For example, someone could go to an assisted living property, help people with the voter registration process and then aid them in marking their ballots. It is difficult to catch. That type of ballot harvesting cannot be caught through the ballot drop boxes, as an individual may drop 15-20 ballots at once. Have you noticed the number of unopened ballots either on the floor, counter or trash at the CB post office? They need to be returned to the county clerk through the USPS marked as ‘undeliverable,’ and not left for someone to casually walk by to collect and proceed to mark with a forged signature. The list is too long for this article, but it is a representation of why the Gunnison County GOP is striving to make the process fair for every registered voter.”

Miller said she has some concerns about where the local Republican party is heading. “The party did not reach out to me and at least one name on their list was involved in the January 6 events,” she said. “It feels like there is some fear mongering. Personally, I was offended because I’d given my time and service when the party couldn’t even be bothered to show up. Now, they do not even engage, just head down a path of fear and selection of specific values, which do not represent the entire party. The process certainly doesn’t feel driven from a place of inclusivity for the party.”

Asay said everyone is welcome to come to a local party meeting. “It might be useful for the person to attend Gunnison County GOP meetings,” he said. “She may get her questions answered there.”

“I have voted in every election since I was 18,” Miller concluded. “It is a gift and I take it very seriously. I am just trying to raise some general awareness and let people understand that not all Republicans share the same view.”