EXCLUSIVE: Jeffco Shares Behind The Scenes Look At Ballot Counting Process
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) — The fourth most-populated county in Colorado has the most ballots returned thus far in the 2020 presidential election. More than 244,000 Jefferson County residents have returned their ballots thus far, more than Denver, El Paso and Arapahoe Counties.
More than 58% of voters in the county returned their ballots at least six days before the election, 98% of those did so by either mail or ballot drop off boxes.
County Clerk and Recorder George Stern said the record turnout in early voting thus far is likely correlated with COVID-19.
"I definitely think COVID is causing people to get these ballots in earlier," Stern said. "We have seen record turnout. It's been an overwhelming early showing which is always exciting."
Stern said a majority of voters have returned their ballots via drop boxes throughout the county.
"We are six days out and the ballots are flowing in," Stern role CBS4's Dillon Thomas. "We didn't hit 58% turnout until Saturday of 2016. We are four days ahead of where we were."
CBS4 was given access to the secure underground facility where the incoming ballots are both sorted and counted. Colorado law allows the county to sort ballots, verify their signatures, open them, count them in advance of Election Night. However, totals are not released before 7pm on election night.
A bipartisan team of election workers have been sorting the ballots, confirming accurate signatures and reviewing the ballots for any corrections or markings left behind by the voters.
Workers are separated by plexiglass barriers and are socially distanced throughout the facility.
The facility is monitored by video surveillance, as are ballot drop off boxes.
"We're making sure to take those precautions for our voters and our election workers," Stern said "We've sometimes had to go to her three times to our busiest boxes to make sure they aren't overflowing because of how many ballots are coming back."
Stern encouraged voters to continue returning their ballots early to ensure there was no unexpected hiccups in the process on election night.
"We take precautions, we never rest our morals to make sure this is the safest and most secure and most successful election we can possibly have," Stern said.
