Face The State Staff Report
This November, Colorado voters will be limited to just 15 minutes in the voting booth to decide on nearly 20 statewide issues and a multitude of candidates.
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“Fifteen minutes sounds like a long time when there are three or less questions on the ballot,” said Kathleen Lecrone, an Arapahoe County election judge. But with the prospect of 15 potential ballot initiatives, four referred measures, up to two state legislative races, a congressional race and U.S. Senate race facing each voter, Lecrone is concerned that 15 minutes won’t be enough time to read a ballot and cast a vote.
The 15 minute limit is an increase over the previous 10 minute limit. Rich Coolidge, spokesman for the Secretary of State, says the limit is intended to stop people from sitting in the voting booth for so long that others could be prevented from voting. He said there have been a few cases when 10 minutes wasn’t enough time, but these were minimal and isolated.
In 2007, legislators passed Senate Bill 83, allowing the SoS to come up with a new time limit. A bi-partisan election task force was brought together, and according to Coolidge, it agreed on the new 15 minute maximum.
Al Kolwicz, an election integrity activist and a Boulder County Canvas Board member, believes that 15 minutes is more than enough time. “Every voter should walk into the ballot box knowing his or her vote,” he said. “You shouldn’t be trying to read it in the booth.”
Enforcement of the time limit is left up to the discretion of election judges, and Lecrone predicts that in the event of long lines, judges will enforce the limit more strictly. “We’re trained to keep an eye on it, and if the person goes over 15 minutes, we are supposed to politely tell that person they have to leave the booth,” she said.
In order to avoid issues with the time limitation and growing lines at the polls, Denver County is encouraging early voting, but will provide 2,200 privacy booths - up from 1,400 in the last election - to accommodate an expected high voter turnout.
“We’re going to continue to make sure voters know they have three options available to them--early voting, by mail or coming to the polls on Election Day,” Denver Elections spokesman Alton Dillard said.
15 seconds is too long
On August 15th, 2008 Jane says:
Even 15 seconds in the booth is too long, everyone should vote by absentee/mail ballot, at least in Denver. Expect another 2006, but worse. Jane
15 minutes is too long
On August 14th, 2008 sseiber says:
Hey, do your homework at home. Fill out a piece of paper with your choices. Take that to the voting booth. Should take less than 5 minutes to cast your ballot.