EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KOAA) \u2014 Colorado\u2019s primary election is two weeks away and while the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder\u2019s office is preparing, it\u2019s also been working to combat election misinformation circulating online.<\/p>\n
“I would probably say 50 percent of my day is answering emails or texts in regards to election disinformation, talking to folks, and I don’t mind that,” Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker said.<\/p>\n
The Clerk and Recorder’s office does more than run elections. It also handles motor vehicle registration, records public documents like marriage licenses, and supports the board of county commissioners.<\/p>\n
While there are other responsibilities in his office, Still, Schleiker said combating election misinformation is a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just don’t want individuals not to participate in an election because they want to have a concern about the security of their ballot, security of them as a voter, or basically they don’t believe in the system. And that absolutely is something that they don’t need to worry about,\u201d Schleiker said<\/p>\n
With it still being early in the election process, numbers from Tuesday showed about four percent of voters in El Paso County had turned in ballots.<\/p>\n
In Colorado\u2019s primary elections, unaffiliated voters receive both Democratic and Republican ballots, but they can only choose one party to vote in.<\/p>\n
According to the Clerk’s office, two unaffiliated voters had turned in both ballots in El Paso County, and their votes will not count.<\/p>\n
“This is a big election,” Schleiker said, “we’re determining who’s going on to the November to basically compete in that race of who’s going be taking over as far as congressional, senate, and as far as statewide races for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and also all of our local races here as well. So it’s pretty important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Primaries typically see lower turnout. Statewide in 2022, about 30% of voters returned ballots. In 2024, even fewer people voted statewide at 26%.<\/p>\n
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