Let’s say you have received your ballot and are sitting down at home to decide whether or not to recall Tony May from the Re-2 school board and elect Scott Bolitho to take his place. Here’s how it works.
“ The ballot has the statements from the committee and Mr. May's statements, so you can read those and then you can make your decision - should Tony May be recalled from the office, yes or no,” explained Jackie Harmon, Garfield County Clerk and Recorder. “If it's a ‘yes’, then Scott Bolitho would be the choice or you don't have to vote [for him].”
She said the ballot includes a “write-in” space but voters are not supposed to write anyone in. “There is not a certified write-in candidate at this time,” she told KDNK.
In January, the Coalition for Responsible Education for Re-2 submitted petitions with more than 2400 signatures to Harmon to recall May from the Re-2 School Board. Last spring, May’s protest against the petition was denied. He appealed that decision, was denied again, and the election was set for Aug. 27.
Now you have a ballot. You read the statements, and you vote on the recall question. If you vote “yes”, you move on to question #2. If you vote “no” on the recall question, that’s it. If the “no” votes on the first question outweigh the “yes” votes, Tony May keeps his seat on the Re-2 school board.
Harmon said the process at the courthouse is no different than other elections.
“We have teams of mail ballot election judges that will be opening the ballots,” she explained. “We have our tabulation room, processing just like we do all the elections.” She added that her office will release preliminary results the evening of Aug. 27 and final results about eight days later. The risk-limiting audit and canvass board will follow.
She said the recall election has been challenging and a “huge learning curve” for her and her staff but she’s had help. “It's been a lot of creating processes for Garfield County and getting advice from sister clerks and the attorneys and Secretary of State, of course,” she said.
Ballots must be voted by 7 PM Aug. 27. Beginning Aug. 6, ballot drop boxes will be available 24/7 at the Rifle Administration building, Silt and New Castle Town Halls, and the Glenwood Springs Courthouse. An election center will be open in Rifle for a week before Election Day and from 7 -7 on Aug. 27. You can find more about the recall election by clicking here.
