On August 30, The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction reported that Republican Secretary of State Mike Coffman's office is “working under a court order to test all previously certified [voting] equipment handed down in 2006 before the next primary, general, or statewide ballot issue election.” The Daily Sentinel, however, failed to report that a Denver district judge ordered the recertification of the state's voting machines after finding in 2006 that former Republican Secretary of State Gigi Dennis' office failed to properly certify state voting machines used in the November 7, 2006, election.

Additionally, while the Rocky Mountain News reported on August 30 that Dennis' office “was sued by a group” that “alleged that the testing process was flawed and failed to prove that the electronic voting equipment was secure and accurate,” it similarly did not mention that Dennis' office had been found responsible for the lack of security and proper certification of the equipment.

As The Denver Post reported on September 24, 2006, Denver District Judge Lawrence Manzanares had ruled two days earlier that “Dennis' office never created minimum security standards for the [electronic voting] machines -- as required by state law” and that “the state did an 'abysmal' job of documenting testing during the certification process.”

The Daily Sentinel article by Gary Harmon reported that Coffman “threatened the makers of electronic voting machines with decertification if they fail to meet demands for information or equipment” while “working under a court order to test all previously certified equipment.” Noting that the order was “handed down in 2006,” the Daily Sentinel reported: “Coffman said he is conducting 'the most comprehensive look at electronic voting equipment ever to take place in Colorado.' ” The article, however, failed to mention that Dennis, the preceding secretary of state, and her office were found responsible for the lack of security and proper certification of the voting equipment before the November 2006 election.

Moreover, while the News article by April M. Washington noted that Dennis “was sued by a group of 13 residents who alleged that the testing process was flawed and failed to prove that the electronic voting equipment was secure and accurate” and that a “judge denied the request but ordered that all previously certified equipment must be retested,” it failed to report Manzanares' conclusion that Dennis' office had “never created minimum security standards” for the machines. In contrast, a September 26, 2006, News editorial addressing Manzanares' decision was highly critical of Dennis for failing to properly certify the voting machines. According to the editorial, “The trial revealed that the process used to certify machines was laughable. The law allowed the state to hire certification 'experts' without requiring those persons to have any formal credentials -- and that's what Dennis did.” The editorial further stated:

[T]he court found that Dennis failed to set even minimal security standards for the touch-screen devices before they were approved. This led to some ugly incidents, as in Mesa County, where officials pressured Dennis' expert to approve the machines with little testing so it could use them in the August primary.

It's clear that a top priority for whoever is elected to succeed Dennis in November will be rebuilding Coloradans' faith in the most basic rite of democracy.

From the August 30 Daily Sentinel article “Secretary of state, counties work to certify vote machines,” by Gary Harmon:

Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman on Wednesday threatened the makers of electronic voting machines with decertification if they fail to meet demands for information or equipment.

Mesa County Clerk Janice Ward, however, said counties have a “vested interest” in testing the equipment and might be able to help.

“To this day we have still not received all of the information from each of the vendors that we need to complete testing,” Coffman said in a news release.

“Throughout this entire process, they have been slow to cooperate in getting us the documentation, hardware or other necessary information that we have requested.”

[...]

Coffman is working under a court order to test all previously certified equipment handed down in 2006 before the next primary, general, or statewide ballot issue election.

Coffman said he is conducting “the most comprehensive look at electronic voting equipment ever to take place in Colorado.”

There are no statewide issues on the 2007 ballot, so the testing does not have to be completed by this November's election.

The deadline for vendors to provide the information is Nov. 16.

From the August 30 Rocky Mountain News article “Sec. of state cautions voting machine firms,” by April M. Washington:

Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman warned suppliers of electronic voting equipment that their machines would be banned in the 2008 election unless they provide the necessary information needed to retest the equipment.

[...]

Coffman's office must test and certify all new voting equipment purchased by counties after May, 28, 2004, to ensure the machines meet state standards for security and accuracy.

In 2006, former Secretary of State Gigi Dennis was sued by a group of 13 residents who alleged that the testing process was flawed and failed to prove that the electronic voting equipment was secure and accurate.

The group sought an injunction on further use of the machines until they could be retested. A judge denied the request but ordered that all previously certified equipment must be retested prior to the next primary, general or statewide ballot issue election.

There are no statewide ballot issues this November. Counties and cities are having elections, but most are using mail ballots, not voting machines.