Denver takes another step to protect election workers

Election Day is less than a week away. With the rise of misinformation, election workers have seen increased threats nationwide and locally. It has spurred the city of Denver to take extra steps to protect election workers this year.  

For the past three years, Denver voters could watch ballots being processed online, but that's not an option anymore, to protect election workers and their identities. 

Paul López, the Denver County Clerk and Recorder said it's a risk he can't take because the cameras show people's faces.  

"Unfortunately, the live stream has become a stage and a window for folks who are seeking to harm election officials," said López.  

López said Denver was the only county left in Colorado that still live-streamed the process. 

"It sucks because it's something that I thought, it'd be helpful for transparency," said López, who added people can still go to the election headquarters downtown and watch ballot processing in-person. 

López also said that in the future, he wants more funding from the city to expand space for his election workers. He also wants to increase security in the area to keep his staff safe.  

The rise in threats has also been felt across the state of Colorado among election leaders too. Chuck Broerman used to be the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder for eight years.  

"It took a whole new level after the 2020 election, where there was a marked and sustained increase in threats toward election workers," said Broerman.  

Broerman said the threats ranged from people calling who were upset and angry, but they also became extreme at times.  

"Others you shrug off, but when they begin to threaten you and say, 'hey, blood will be on your hands' or 'hey, we know where you live,''' said Broerman. "That gets to be outside the mark of what's appropriate of public discourse."  

Broerman added that during his tenure as clerk and recorder, his office made surveillance video available of the ballot drop-off boxes and locations, and election judges would review that video.  

Moving forward, Broerman and Lopez both believe in finding the balance of transparency, but also protecting people.  

"We have to strive to have that balance between being transparent so people can see functions of the government," said Broerman. 

"We have to make sure that the people who are doing the work of people are safe, and that they're protected," said López.  

Cameras will still be recording the processing of the ballots, and by law, those videos must be kept on file for 25 months.  

In Weld County, Carly Koppes, the County Clerk and Recorder also said she's received many threats over the years, especially after the 2020 Presidential Election. While the number of threats decreased recently, she still responds to people's phone calls and emails who have concerns.  

She also added, when the new elections department building was designed prior to 2020, they kept in mind having enhanced security features. She said her team is also trained on de-escalation techniques and making sure they're aware of their environment. 

CBS News Colorado reported earlier this year that nearly a third of local election officials in Colorado have left office since 2020. That's according to a report from issue one, released in September. 

The top reason they are leaving, are threats and harassment levied at election workers since the 2020 election.