Voting using the special election ballot
Some folks have shared to me they find the September 9 Palmer Lake special election ballot confusing. I’m sharing this information to help voters navigate this complicated ballot!
Overview of ballot structure
There are three pages in the ballot.
The first page is to vote to recall Trustee Kevin Dreher.
The second page contains both the vote to recall Trustee Shana Ball and, tucked at the very bottom of the second page, in a terribly inconspicuous spot, is the vote to elect two new replacement trustees.
The third page contains the vote to change town law to put land annexation decisions into the hands of the townspeople rather than the Board of Trustees.
Page 1 – Vote to recall Trustee Dreher
This page has one issue on it — the vote to recall Trustee Kevin Dreher. Make your decision at the bottom of your ballot.
Page 2 – Vote to recall Trustee Ball and elect replacement trustees
Be very careful with this page as it has TWO items on it for you to vote on and it would be very easy to overlook the second of the two items.
- The first item is a vote to recall Trustee Shana Ball.
- The second item is to vote in two replacement trustees to supplant Dreher and Ball.
- IMPORTANT: You must choose only two of the three candidates.
Both items are at the very bottom of the ballot.
Page 3 – Vote to put land annexation decisions into the hands of the people
The third item is a vote to put land annexation decisions into the hands of the people of Palmer Lake instead of its Board of Trustees.
The key language is in Section 1 (not shown in image below):
Section 1. Requirement for Voter Approval of Annexation
Any proposal to annex land into the Town of Palmer Lake shall be subject to approval by a majority vote of the registered electors of the Town of Palmer Lake at a regular or special municipal election. No annexation shall be deemed effective unless and until it has been approved by the voters in accordance with this ordinance.
Take a picture of your ballot
I would strongly recommend you photograph and / or scan your ballot and affidavit so you have a personal record of your vote.
Fill out and sign the affidavit
After putting your ballot into the envelope, remember to fill out and sign the affidavit on the envelope.
Mail it in or drop it off
Put the ballot in the US mail in time for it to be received by the Town by the September 9 deadline. A September 9 postmark is not sufficient!
You may also drop off the ballot up until 7 PM (Mountain Time) on September 9. As of this writing, my understanding is the ballot dropboxes are located in the Town Hall and the Town Administrative office.
Reminder, there is no in-person voting during this special election so it is important to get your ballot turned in before the September 9 deadline.
What to do if you spoil your ballot?
If you make a mistake on your ballot and need a new one, contact the Town Clerk, Erica Romero.
Registering to vote / updating your registration
If you’re not registered to vote, or your registration is not in Palmer Lake, but it should be, find registration instructions here.
Not sure who you want to vote for?
Board of Trustee candidates — myself, Roger Moseley, and John Marble — will be hosting a Candidate Q&A on Wednesday, August 27, 6 – 8 PM at the Palmer Lake Elementary School gym. I hope you’ll join us. Details here.
Video Walkthrough of Ballot