As it has previously done, Archuleta County will conduct the Nov. 4 election as a mail ballot election.
Following is information on that election pertaining to Archuleta County.
Ballots for the Nov. 4 election will be mailed to registered voters the week of Oct. 14, with the deadline to register and have a ballot mailed to you being Oct. 28.
If a voter registers beyond that date, whether online or in person, he or she will have to pick up a ballot from the Archuleta County Voting Service and Polling Center in the Archuleta County Election’s Office, located downstairs in the back of the courthouse at 449 San Juan Street (U.S. 160).
The center will also deal with early, absentee and replacement ballots.
Voted ballots may be mailed back, dropped off in that office or in the Motor Vehicle Office upstairs in the courthouse. All ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 4. Postmarks will not count.
On Election Day, the Election’s Office will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Early voting
Early voting will take place in the Election’s Office.
Office hours for early voting are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning Oct. 14 and ending Nov. 4.
The center will also be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.
Candidate forum
The League of Women Voters will host a commissioner candidate forum at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in the Ross Aragon Community Center.
The forum will include the two candidates running for commissioner, District 3.
Contested races
The General Election ballot for Archuleta County includes the following contested races among the listed candidates.
U.S. Senator:
Mark Udall, Democratic
Cory Gardner, Republican
Gaylon Kent, Libertarian
Raul Acosta, unaffiliated
Bill Hammons, Unity
Steve Shogan, unaffiliated
Congressional representative, District 3:
Scott R. Tipton, Republican
Abel J. Tapia, Democratic
Travis Mero, Libertarian
Tisha T. Casida, unaffiliated
Governor/lieutenant governor:
Bob Beauprez/Jill Repella, Republican
John Hickenlooper/Joe Garcia, Democratic
Harry Hempy/Scott Olson, Green
Matthew Hess/Brandon Young, Libertarian
Mike Dunafon/Robin J. Roberts, unaffiliated.
Paul Noel Fiorino/Charles George Whitley, unaffiliated
Secretary of state:
Joe Neguse, Democratic
Wayne W. Williams, Republican
Amanda Campbell, American Constitution
Dave Schambach, Libertarian
State treasurer:
Walker Stapleton, Republican
Betsy Markey, Democratic
David Jurist, Libertarian
Attorney general:
Don Quick, Democratic
Cynthia Coffman, Republican
David K. Williams, Libertarian
State board of education, congressional District 3:
Henry C. Roman, Democratic
Marcia Neal, Republican
State representative, District 59:
Mike McLachlan, Democratic
J. Paul Brown, Republican
County commissioner, District 3:
Ray Lattin, Republican
Michael Whiting, unaffiliated
County surveyor:
Thomas F. Johnston, unaffiliated
Dean P. Schultz, unaffiliated
Ron Sutcliffe, unaffiliated
Ballot issues/questions
The ballot also includes votes for two constitutional amendments.
Depending on your physical address, you may not be voting on all referred ballot issues.
A “yes” vote on any question or issue is a vote in favor of changing the current law or existing circumstances, while a “no” vote is a vote against changing the current law or existing circumstances.
Amendment 67, commonly called the personhood amendment, asks if there should be an amendment to the Colorado constitution “protecting pregnant women and unborn children by defining ‘person’ and ‘child’ in the Colorado criminal code and the Colorado wrongful death act to include unborn human beings?”
Amendment 68 asks if state taxes should be increased $114.5 million annually in the first fiscal year, and by “such amounts that are raised thereafter, by imposing a new tax on authorized horse racetracks’ adjusted gross proceeds from limited gaming” with the purpose of the tax to increase statewide funding for K-12 education.
In connection with that, the question asks if the Colorado Constitution should be amended to permit limited gaming “in addition to pre-existing pari-mutuel wagering” at one qualified horse racetrack in each Arapahoe, Mesa and Pueblo counties. It would authorize host communities to impose impact fees on horse racetracks authorized to conduct limited gaming, “allowing all resulting revenue to be collected and spent notwithstanding any limitations provided by law; and allocating the resulting tax revenues to a fund to be distributed to school districts and the Charter School Institute for K-12 education?”
Statutory Proposition 104 asks if there should be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes “requiring any meeting of a board of education, or any meeting between any representative of a school district and any representatives of employees, at which a collective bargaining agreement is discussed to be open to the public?”
Statutory Proposition 105 asks if there should be a change to CRS concerning the labeling of genetically modified food and, in connection with, require food that has been genetically modified or treated with genetically modified material to be labeled, “Produced With Genetic Engineering”starting July 1, 2016, with the exemption of some foods and beverages, which are listed in the question.
The ballot also includes three nonbinding advisory questions for Archuleta County, which were placed on the ballot on behalf of both the county and the Town of Pagosa Springs.
Nonbinding ballot question 1A:
“Would you be in favor of the Town of Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County combining their park and recreation efforts and programs through the creation of a Parks and Recreation District?”
Nonbinding ballot question 2A:
“If a Parks and Recreation District is formed it has to be funded. Would you support a permanent sales tax not to exceed 1 cent as the sole source of funding?”
Nonbinding ballot question 3A:
“If a Parks and Recreation District is not created would you support a sales tax increase over a limited period of time dedicated solely to completing recreation projects such as the town to lakes trail?”
