El Paso County Clerk unveils new voter safety measures

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - There will be new safety measures in place when El Paso County voters make their voices heard on November 5.

The El Paso County Clerk & Recorders office announced Monday they've partnered with the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

"We work year-round to be sure we have the right people talking to each other, and asking the right questions proactively, ahead of any potential issue that might come up," said Regional Emergency Management and Recovery Director Andrew Notbohm of PPROEM. "We have plans to support the Clerk & Recorder and our community around the election, and are continually improving our readiness to provide information, coordination, and resources as needed."

Clerk & Recorder Steve Schleiker said the partnership is a proactive decision, driven in part by the massive turnout they're expecting.

"We're predicting a record voter turnout so between 88 to 90 percent and registrations are coming in quite a bit, which is amazing so we're probably going to be mailing out about half a million ballots here in El Paso County to all of our registered voters," he said.

Schleiker said it's also a response to some of the safety concerns they've heard from some of their long-time election judges.

"Some of the things that were shared we're they felt intimidated, they were followed to the bathroom here in the ballot processing, they were followed to their cars, they were intimidated in the hallways," he said.

While voters may not notice anything different on November 5, Schleiker said first responders will have a command center set up and will be ready to respond to emergency situations, traffic incidents, or severe weather.

Schleiker said the emergency management team is also there to help combat misinformation if it pops up.

"We diffuse it immediately and get that word out there to the public on what absolutely is true," he said. "All of the different entities throughout El Paso County are working towards that exact goal where everybody is safe, and we have a secure and fair election."

Schleiker said he understands that emotions are running high, but people need to remember how to be civil, especially to those running the election.

"What we as a community need to understand is these are our neighbors, they're our friends within the community, stepping up and working this particular election," he said. "At no time should anybody be fearful to be an election judge or an election worker, and nor should individuals be fearful of going to cast their ballot."