Watch CBS News

Confusion Mars Loveland Fracking Vote

DENVER (AP) - A special election in Loveland on a fracking moratorium has been marred by confusion.

The Tuesday vote coincided with primary election contests, and some voters returned ballots for both in the same envelope.

Larimer County Clerk and Recorder Angela Myers said last week that about 40 ballots would have to be disqualified because of the envelope error.

But the Secretary of State's office issued an emergency rule Tuesday afternoon ordering Larimer County to count the special election ballots that should have been returned to Loveland.

Loveland would be the sixth city in Colorado to limit or ban hydraulic fracturing, an action that state oil and gas regulators have said isn't permitted.

RELATED: People Posing As City Workers Collecting Voters' Ballots In Loveland

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.