Rhetorical Questions About the Denver Election

How small does an election have to be in order for Denver officials not to screw it up? Seriously -- does the turnout have to be in the single digits for ballot hawks to come up with a final tally on the actual day of the vote? Why the hell...

By Michael Roberts

November 8, 2007

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

How small does an election have to be in order for Denver officials not to screw it up? Seriously -- does the turnout have to be in the single digits for ballot hawks to come up with a final tally on the actual day of the vote? Why the hell is counting still going on two days later? Do our government representatives really expect us to believe the problem was a "last-minute surge" of voters? Given that this was an off-year election, wouldn't any such gusher be a relative trickle compared to, say, a year when a President is being chosen? Speaking of which, do these people know that very sort of election will be taking place this time next year? Have they forgotten the election meltdown in 2006 -- or the humiliation and retribution that followed? And why has totting up votes suddenly gotten so damn difficult? Haven't we as a nation been doing this for two-centuries plus? Is there the slightest chance someone in Denver government will figure out how to improve the process over the next year? Or will these same rhetorical questions be just as applicable in November 2008 as they are in November 2007? Anybody? Hello? -- Michael Roberts

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo