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Message from the Clerk
Dear Neighbors,
This past summer has been busy and full of new achievements for our office. We’re officially open for in-person appointments, so we look forward to seeing more of you in our office!
In the months that have passed, our office piloted our first-ever youth leadership program, a six-course educational initiative designed to immerse students in the voting process and increase civic engagement. We also had the opportunity to engage voters at Major League Baseball's All-Star Game with our new mobile vote center – watch the full tour.
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We're gearing up for the November 2 Coordinated Election in which voters will consider a number of school board candidates and ballot questions, including our own measure to move municipal elections from May to April in order to ensure timely delivery and return of ballots.
We will be hosting a voter registration training September 9 to ensure that our community partners are educated on how to properly register eligible voters. I hope you can join us!
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Hon. Paul D. López,
Denver Clerk and Recorder
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November 2021 Coordinated Election |
Election season is (already!) upon us again. The November 2021 Coordinated Election will have voters decide on a number of citizen-initiated ordinances, council-referred measures, and district-specific and at-large candidates for school board. Local elections are impactful.
DenverVotes.org/VoterInfo is your one-stop shop for how, when, and where to vote in the upcoming election. Sign up for BallotTRACE to stay updated on your ballot’s whereabouts. Check back for updates—sample ballots and an interactive voting location map are coming soon!
Ballots begin mailing October 8
Last day to vote: Tuesday, November 2 by 7 p.m.
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Meet the Director of Elections
Dena Dawson is a native of Pueblo, Colorado and has administered elections in Colorado, Oregon and Nevada for a total of more than 15 years. Dawson is a dedicated public servant who is committed to conducting fair, accessible, transparent and efficient elections. Among her peers, she is recognized as an innovative thinker and a problem-solver, and she is praised for her collaborative approach to improvement in elections administration. Dawson was sworn into her new role as Director of Elections on July 6, 2021.
“It gives me great pride to have appointed Ms. Dena Dawson as Director of our Elections Division,” said Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul D. López. "Ms. Dawson brings extraordinary skill and experience to our team, and I can’t think of anyone more fitting to help us defend democracy in the Mile High City.”
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Municipal Election Timing Decision heads to Voters this November |
In July, Clerk and Recorder Paul López sent two proposals to City Council to modernize Denver’s Charter. Proposed changes to municipal elections would allow Denver to meet statutory requirements regarding mailing ballots to military and overseas voters in the event of a run-off. One proposal was to implement ranked-choice voting, eliminating the need for a run-off. The other was to move municipal elections up from May to April to allow for more time to send run-off ballots.
On August 30, Denver City Council chose to advance the option to move the timing of municipal elections from May to April. Now it’s up to voters. Be on the lookout for information on council-referred measures and citizen-led initiatives in your mailed ballot guide and at DenverVotes.org/VoterInfo—coming soon!
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Voter Registration Drive Community Training |
The Office of the Clerk and Recorder is excited to announce a new training opportunity for community members and organizations who help facilitate voter registration. This training will ensure that those who hold Voter Registration Drives (VRD) in the community have the right tools to assist and answer questions.
The Denver Elections Division subject matter experts will cover a host of topics, such as: how to properly register voters, VRD form completion, how to accommodate diverse populations, ethics, and more.
Sign up by Monday, September 6. Dinner will be provided. We look forward to seeing you!
This training will be held on:
Thursday, September 9, 2021
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Denver Elections Division
200 W. 14th Avenue, Denver, CO
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Confined Voting Project: New Report |
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(L to R): Alton Dillard, Communications Manager; Anne Duncan, League of Women Voters; Juston Cooper, Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition; Andrew Jones, Denver Sheriff Department; and Stuart Clubb, Ballot Operations Manager. |
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Following an informative town hall with partners from the Denver Sheriff’s office, the League of Women Voters, and the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, the Denver Elections Division has released a comprehensive report on expanding access to the ballot box for confined voters.
Last year, eligible voters in Denver’s County Jail and Downtown Detention Center had the option to vote in person for the first time ever. At these locations, 136 ballots were cast in person for the November 2020 General Election.
“The genuine appreciation of so many people was overwhelming. Many told us this was their first time voting and they had no idea they had the right the vote. We clapped and cheered for every ballot that was dropped into a ballot box, and the smiles, even through masks, were unmistakable.” Carrie, Denver Sheriff Department
Watch our virtual town hall for an engaging discussion and Q&A session on this innovative program that helps ensure all eligible voters can make their voice heard.
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The Denver Elections Division takes election security seriously. All of our processes are transparent, and multiple levels of testing and audits for each and every election ensure our processes and equipment meet the highest standards of excellence. After ballot certification for the November 2021 Coordinated Election, we'll conduct a Logic and Accuracy Test of our voting system to kick off these important measures. |
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Kelly Mutz, Communications & Engagement Intern at the South by Southeast community festival. |
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Clerk López and the engagement team by McGregor Square during the All-Star Game. |
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In wrapping up a busy summer, we've had the opportunity to register and educate voters about the upcoming coordinated election at the South by Southeast community festival, the National Night Out at Westwood Park, and at the All-Star Game, where we estimate that nearly 40,000 community members walked by and checked out our all-new Voter Coach, took a tour, or updated their voter registration. |
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From marriage licenses to foreclosures to records, the work of our office touches the lives of Denverites in many ways. Check out this video of a day in the life of our office to learn more about how we serve the public, from when we open our doors in the morning until we record our last document for the night. |
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Clerk's Summer Youth Program |
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(L to R) Paulina Guzman, Laura Jaime, Clerk López, Carson Piehl, and Me'Kayla Tolar.
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We're excited to announce the first graduates of our Clerk's Summer Youth Program! Thanks to partnership with DSST Public Schools, this select group of students are now prepared to run mock elections within their high school this fall.
The Denver Elections Division taught students all aspects of elections administration, including: voter engagement and communications, operations, data management, ballot design, processing and tabulation, GIS mapping, voter services, election judge recruitment, and budget management. Students were also introduced to other functions of the Office of the Clerk and Recorder, including Recording, Public Trustee, and City Clerk.
Ballots for the students’ mock election will include the same initiatives slated to appear on the county’s official ballots for the November 2021 Coordinated Election. Assisted by the Denver Elections Division, the students will design the ballots, raise awareness about the election, administer the election, then tabulate and share the results.
Congratulations to Paulina Guzman, Laura Jaime, Carson Piehl, and Me'Kayla Tolar of DSST College View and DSST Conservatory Green schools!
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RECORDING & PUBLIC TRUSTEE |
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Meet the Director of Recording, Public Trustee and City Clerk
"When it comes to being a public servant, Mr. John Davies is a Jedi master," said Clerk Paul López. "He has served our city well in different roles, most recently as my Chief Deputy Public Trustee. I am proud to promote him to Director of Recording, Public Trustee and City Clerk, and I'm pleased to introduce him to the community."
In 2006, Davies was hired on as a deputy public trustee and spent four years in that role before transitioning to buyer in the city’s Purchasing Division. After five years in Purchasing, Director Davies returned to the Clerk and Recorder’s office in the role of Chief Deputy Public Trustee, where he spent another five-plus years before being promoted to his current position.
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Public Trustee:
Foreclosure Townhall Series
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Community Resources:
Tuesday, August 31, 6 p.m.
How to Get Help:
Tuesday, September 21, 6 p.m.
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If you’re facing foreclosure, bankruptcy, or other financial difficulties, it is important to understand your options. Learn about the foreclosure process, find trusted resources, and explore strategies for preventing and avoiding foreclosure at our series of free, virtual townhalls.
Townhalls start at 6 p.m., and Zoom meeting links are added as available. If you missed our previous meetings, watch them here.
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City Clerk Archive: Back to School |
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It’s back to school time, and that means Denver’s youth are reacquainting themselves with (or seeing for the first time) one of 207 Denver public schools. Today, these buildings can be found in every neighborhood, but we didn’t always have so many ...
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201 W. Colfax Ave., Dept. 101
Denver, CO 80202
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