Thornton staff detail special-election process; vote center to open March 10, election March 25

City Clerk Allison told the Thornton City Council on the evening meeting that the special municipal election being run by the city under the Municipal Election Code will be conducted with many of the same safeguards voters see in county-coordinated elections.

“Voters should not notice a significant difference between the special election and the coordinated election,” Allison said, adding that ballots had been mailed beginning the day before the meeting and that staff are using experienced election judges recommended by the county.

The clerk said the city is running the election as a mail-ballot election but will also open a vote center with ADA-accessible voting machines starting March 10. Voters can also drop ballots at a 24-hour ballot box or at the city clerk’s office and may register and receive a replacement ballot up to and on election day. Election day is March 25 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the clerk said.

Why it matters: Thornton’s special election is being held under the Municipal Election Code rather than the Uniform Election Code used for coordinated county elections. Allison described both the similarities and the differences so council members — and members of the public following the meeting — would know what to expect and how the city is handling integrity measures.

Key procedures and differences the clerk described include: signature verification using the statewide voter registration system, at least three required logic-and-accuracy tests of electronic tabulators (the city will run four), locked and inspected voting equipment and chain-of-custody logs for ballots, and a required canvass by the clerk and mayor (or mayor pro tem) to be completed within 10 days after the election (a shorter timeline than counties, which have 22 days).

The city will also provide Spanish translations of ballots and election materials and is using a county-provided 24-hour ballot drop box, even though some of those measures are not strictly required under the Municipal Election Code.

Council members asked how initial results will be published; Allison said initial results will be posted as soon as possible after 7 p.m. on election night and further updates will be posted to the city website. She said signature discrepancies will trigger a notification and provide the voter an opportunity to cure the ballot.

Council follow-up: Councilmembers asked staff to coordinate communications with Adams County so voters who habitually check the county election page are directed to the city’s results page. Allison and communications staff said they would seek that coordination.

What’s next: The city’s vote center opens March 10; canvass is scheduled for April 7; orientation for the newly elected council member is planned April 7 and swearing in April 8. Allison invited councilmembers and the public to attend the publicly posted logic-and-accuracy tests of the voting systems.

(Transcript evidence: Thornton City Clerk briefing, March special election timeline and procedures.)