Denver vote-counters headed back to work Monday

DENVER (AP) — With nearly 4,000 uncounted absentee ballots remaining, Denver election workers were headed back to work Monday in hopes of wrapping up long-delayed final results from last week’s election.

Denver election officials still must hand-copy 3,820 absentee ballots that were damaged or filled out improperly and then run them through counting machines. They have finished counting nearly 62,000 other absentee ballots.

Also uncounted in Denver were an estimated 3,000 provisional ballots, usually cast by voters whose eligibility is in question. The ballots are put aside until the voters’ status can be verified.

Among those anxiously awaiting the final tally were the candidates for Colorado secretary of state, Republican Mike Coffman and Democrat Ken Gordon. As of Sunday afternoon, Coffman had a lead of about 25,000 votes out of more than 1.4 million cast statewide.

Also undecided was a Denver tax increase to fund preschool and an at-large seat for the University of Colorado Board of Regents.

An unknown number of ballots remained uncounted in other counties, including Boulder and Pueblo.

The delays were blamed on computer problems and equipment failures.

Anthony Rainey, technology chief for the Denver Elections Commission, was placed on “administrative investigative leave” Saturday in the aftermath of the election problems.

The Denver delays were so severe that police officers were called in Saturday to relieve exhausted election workers.