Designation of Voter Service and Polling Center in Prowers County

Pursuant to 1-5-101 and 1-7.5-107 C.R.S., Prowers County Clerk and Recorder Jana Coen is seeking written comments from residents of Prowers County regarding the designation of a voter service and polling center in conjunction with HB13-1303. House Bill 13-1303 requires a County Clerk and Recorder to solicit public comment concerning the location of such voter service and polling centers for the November 5, 2019 Coordinated Election.

In designating voter service and polling center locations, each County Clerk and Recorder shall consider the following factors to address the needs of the county:

1. Proximity of public transportation lines and availability of parking
2. Geographic features, such as mountain passes, that tend to affect access and convenience
3. Equitable distribution across the county so as to afford maximally convenient options for electors
4. The existence and location of population centers
5. Access for persons with disabilities
6. Use of existing voting locations that typically serve a significant number of electors
7. Use of public buildings that are known to electors in the county, especially to the extent that using such buildings results in cost savings compared to other potential locations
8. When private locations are considered or designated as voter service and polling centers in accordance with Section 1-5-105 (3), methods and standards to ensure the security of voting conducted at such locations

HB13-1303 requires that all elections conducted by the County Clerk and Recorder or coordinated with the County Clerk and Recorder, beginning July 1, 2013, be conducted as mail ballot elections. Polling place elections will no longer be held in Prowers County, i.e. Holly, Granada, Wiley, and Lamar LCC Wellness Center, unless special districts or municipalities choose to conduct their own elections as polling place elections.

HB13-1303 specifies that for counties with fewer than twenty-five thousand (25,000) active electors, as that term is described in Section 1-5-102.9 (1) (b), only one (1) voter service and polling location is required. Voting service and polling centers are required to be open during the eight (8) days prior to and including the day of the election, with the exception of Sunday.

Clerk Coen has designated the Prowers County Courthouse as the Voter Service and Polling Center for Prowers County for the following reasons:

1. It is the most centrally located area benefitting all registered voters
2. Accessibility for persons with disabilities is available and adequate
3. The fact that it is a public building known and utilized by most electors in the county
4. It provides the most cost savings compared to other potential locations

Residents may submit written comments to: Prowers County Clerk and Recorder, 301 S. Main St., Ste. 210, Lamar, CO 81052, until Wednesday, May 31, 2019, at 4:30 p.m.