Clerk unveils Ballot Verifier and wins approval to redraw and split crowded precincts for 2026

The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution June 24 to split and adjust precinct boundaries ahead of the 2026 election cycle after a presentation from El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleicher on election transparency tools and precinct planning.

Schleicher told the board the county launched "Ballot Verifier," a public portal that allows users to review scanned ballot images alongside the cast-vote record and to see when a bipartisan team of election judges adjudicated a ballot. "Every citizen in El Paso County can audit any election, any race, any question on the ballot," Schleicher said during the presentation and a video demonstration. The clerk's office said Ballot Verifier applies to 2024 elections and beyond and will be uploaded to the public portal after results are certified.

Why this matters: Ballot image access and cast-vote records provide a means for independent verification of how ballots were read and tabulated. The clerk's office demonstrated that images and adjudication notes are available, showing the adjudication timeline for individual ballots and allowing researchers or voters to compare tabulation with scanned images.

Precinct changes: Schleicher and Angela (Angie) Leith, division manager for elections, explained the county must keep precincts to no more than 1,500 active voters under Colorado law (Colorado Revised Statutes 1-5-101). The county is growing rapidly; Schleicher said the county has more than 508,922 active voters and about 751,000 residents. The proposed changes target roughly 10 overpopulated precincts, mostly in fast-growing eastern parts of the county. For example, the precinct covering Fort Carson was restructured into two administrative precincts (810A and 810B) so no single precinct exceeds legal thresholds; Leith explained military installations receive the same ballot and the split is an administrative measure to comply with voter caps.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to adopt the precinct boundary changes. Vice Chair Holly Williams moved approval; the motion passed on a roll call with all five commissioners voting in the affirmative.

Implementation timeline and outreach: Schleicher said implementation of approved boundary splits will occur in summer 2025 and the new precinct boundaries will be in effect for the 2026 election cycle, giving parties and voters time to adjust. The clerk's office will notify affected voters by postcard or letter and provide information to political parties so precinct leaders can be identified.

Security and records: Schleicher addressed security concerns raised during the meeting, saying tabulation machines are not connected to the internet and are secured in 24/7 monitored facilities and that bipartisan teams of election judges adjudicate ballots together. He also said the county retains ballot images and related records for the periods required by law and is working to upload older images (2020 and 2022) where available.

Public comment and related concerns: Several public-comment speakers from a volunteer group, United Sovereign Americans, presented claimed irregularity statistics and asked the board to adopt a resolution addressing election integrity. Schleicher invited those speakers to meet with his office and provide their data so staff can research it; he noted he had not yet reviewed the specific materials they offered at the meeting.

The board's action: The precinct-change resolution passed 5-0 and will be implemented ahead of the 2026 primary and general elections.