Aspen Election Review: 2005-2009 Links to media- discussion of ballot release and election review

There are so many links in media to this topic I have archived the 2009 activity here and started a new list for 2010. [H. Branscomb]

2010 links to media coverage are here: http://aspenelectionreview.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010-links-to-media-coverage-of-aspen.html

The two Aspen Colorado papers and three state-wide and several national blogs have been covering the topic of the Aspen May 5 IRV election and the upcoming Aspen Election Independent Review and numerous letters to editor. Here is a perhaps not complete collection of them:

DemocraticUnderground.com
12/15/09: ASPEN ELECTION NOT OUT OF CONTROL (satirical video)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x413321

Black BoxVoting.org
12/15/09: (CO) 12/09 - ASPEN'S SLIPPERY SLOPES: CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS and BLOCKING RIGHT TO PUBLIC RECORDS -
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/

Huffington Post:
11/23/09: Guest Opinion: Marilyn Marks http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wires/2009/11/23/guest-opinion-marilyn-mar_ws_367225.html

Colorado Independent:
11/23/09: Election dispute, lawsuit, squabbling continue in Aspen http://coloradoindependent.com/42856/election-dispute-lawsuit-squabbling-continue-in-aspen

1/1/2010: Aspen Daily News: Year in Review, item #9:
9. Aspen’s election and subsequent fallout

Almost eight months after Aspen’s last municipal election, city officials complain about the amount of time still taken up by election-related issues, and losing mayoral candidate Marilyn Marks is soliciting donations from around the country to fund her lawsuit against the city.

The basics of the situation are this: The city in May held its first election using instant runoff voting, a controversial method in which voters rank their choices. In IRV, if no candidate gets enough votes to win in the first count, lower-ranking candidates are eliminated and their votes are redistributed using voters’ ranked preference, so that government agencies can conduct elections without having to go to a later runoff round. Using this method, Ireland was re-elected and Derek Johnson and Torre won council seats. Voters also rejected a proposal for the Aspen Art Museum to buy public land for a new facility.

Even before the election, Marks, who is no fan of IRV, tried to stop the method from being used. After the election was conducted, Marks raised questions about voting procedures used during the election, and requested to see photographic images of the physical ballots cast. The images would be used to cross-check one of the two voting machines used in City Hall. The city claims that releasing the ballot images would be unconstitutional and Marks sued. The case is pending.

Meanwhile, the city’s official Election Commission, which in the past functioned mostly on election night to resolve voter intent and eligibility questions, was targeted as a forum for Marks and others to pursue their goal of a broader election review. The commission requested funds for its own attorney, with two of the three members saying they couldn’t rely on the advice of the city attorney’s office because of a perceived conflict of interest since city attorneys helped design IRV.

Then, former city Councilman Jack Johnson, who was voted out of office in the May election, read through election commissioner e-mails, which showed a few meetings between two of three election commissioners that were not conducted using a public meeting process, as well as heavy lobbying by Marks for the commission to use its yet-undefined powers to analyze the pros and cons of the May election.

In the drama that followed, the city determined that the current Election Commission was in violation of the City Charter because the commissioners’ terms technically ended in July. The commission was disbanded and the city is currently seeking to form a new Election Commission.
— Curtis Wackerle
[full article here: http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/138557 ]

Below the break are:
Aspen Public Radio (KAJX): 6 radio programs
Aspen Times: 48 articles or editorials or columns or letters to editor
Aspen Daily News: 40 articles or editorials or columns or letters to editor
and others.

Aspen Public Radio (KAJX):

12/25/09: It's been nearly 8 months since Aspen's May municipal election, but the controversy still stirs. The entire affair is making national news, of sorts...on a satirical website out of California.
http://www.aspenpublicradio.org/news_archive_detail.php?story=558

10/27/09: A former Aspen City Council member asked the current council for help with an open records request. Jack Johnson wants public documents pertaining to the City's Election Commission. He says he does not believe Election Commissioners have been fully compliant. Aspen Public Radio's Mitzi Rapkin reports.
10/27/09: http://www.aspenpublicradio.com/news/10-27NEWS.mp3
10/28/09: http://www.aspenpublicradio.com/news/10-28NEWS.mp3
10/29/09: http://www.aspenpublicradio.org/news_archive_detail.php?story=514
10/30/09: http://www.aspenpublicradio.org/news_archive_detail.php?story=515
11/11/09: http://www.aspenpublicradio.com/news/11-11NEWS.mp3