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New Election Law Causing Holdup With Broomfield Fracking Vote

Broomfield Vote
(credit: CBS)

BROOMFIELD, Colo. (CBS4) – A new elections law is slowing down the ballot counting process at the Broomfield Clerk's Office.

The new election law allows voters to register to vote 22 days before election day as long as they provide a home address within the county.

This is raising some concerns for fraudulent or invalid ballots.

This new process has caused a delay in finding out the result of the fracking ban measure, which will decide if fracking is allowed or not in Broomfield.

It took nearly 2 hours of questioning before the ballot process could begin just to make sure everyone knew the rules.

Each of the 200 or so ballots being counted is being reviewed one by one to make sure that all signatures and voter information is valid. The reason the process is taking so long is to make sure that election rules are being followed.

"I'm not necessarily pro-oil and gas or pro-water and food watch but I'm here to make sure that the election has the integrity we hope it does even with the new election laws. If we're just here as a presence and we can just be a powerful presence here then we know that in future elections as well as these that everything will be done above board," said state Rep. Ellyn Hilliard.

The Broomfield City Clerk said at noon that they expect an unofficial tally of the votes sometime in the late afternoon. Friday is when they expect to have the final tally of votes.

The election board will then review those numbers. That is when they can determine if the fracking ban measure known as Question 300 will pass or be defeated or if a mandatory recount is needed.

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