Palmer Lake Trustee calls on District Attorney and Attorney General to investigate recall election
Celeste Springer
PALMER LAKE, Colo. (KRDO) — Palmer Lake Trustee Atis Jurka is calling for an investigation into an upcoming recall election, making serious accusations about violations of Colorado election laws.
On Sept. 9, residents will head to the polls to vote on two items: whether to remove Trustees Shana Ball and Kevin Dreher, and also whether voters should decide future annexation decisions.
Trustee Jurka is calling on District Attorney Michael Allen and Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate the election. Jurka alleges that election signs were stored under a desk less than five feet from a ballot box.
“We want to have a fair, level playing field,” said Jurka.
Courtesy: Trustee Atis Jurka
In Colorado, campaign signs are prohibited within 100 feet of a polling place or drop box.
Courtesy: Trustee Atis Jurka
“If I’m a voter and I’m kind of shy and I’m not outspoken, I go to the town office and I see the town office having this sign saying vote no….There might be some retribution against me,” says Jurka.
When asked about this, Interm Town Manager Glen Smith said the red sign in the picture is from a paddleboard company that was left around the lake.
Smith says the purple sign was a campaign sign, but that it was only there because a police officer found it in the middle of the road and dropped it off at town hall.
Additionally, Jurka alleges that there are large campaign banners, which are identified as “Paid for by Friends and Neighbors.” Jurka says the group is not registered as a committee.
“One doesn’t even have a designation of who paid for it. And the other one has is paid by ‘neighbors and friends’, but they’re not registered with the campaign office,” mentioned Jurka, saying that multiple signs aren’t following campaign rules.
In Colorado, committees for recall elections must register themselves if contributions or expenditures for the group cost more than $200, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
KRDO13 also did not find a committee of that name registered with the Secretary of State or listed under the town’s page with committee registrations.
Jurka mentioned other concerns, too. He said citizens had told him that supporters of the recall were being weeded out as election judges when they were found to be supporters of the effort. KRDO13 was not able to confirm this claim. KRDO13 did learn that El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker sent Palmer Lake a list of election judges they had previously used. It’s not clear if Palmer Lake selected judges from that list.
Schleiker said that to be an election judge, you don’t have to live in a specific area; you just have to be a registered voter in the state
The final concern Jurka outlined was a failure by the Town of Palmer Lake to coordinate its election with El Paso County. However, Schleiker said that due to the Palmer Lake Charter, they were unable to coordinate their election. Schleiker added that their charter is very specific about only being able to coordinate for general elections in an even-numbered year.
Now, for the actual town trustees vote on approving the Palmer Lake Buc-ees. That vote has been pushed back. The town planning commission has not made its final ruling.