(PUEBLO, Colo.) — The City Clerk for the City of Pueblo will run the upcoming special election for the office of Pueblo Mayor, instead of the Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder, as the preparation for the election will interfere with the 2024 presidential primary.
The City explained in a press release that while the County Clerk and Recorder has run the majority of City elections in the past, the timing of the runoff in conjunction with the presidential primary will necessitate the City Clerk being responsible for those duties.
“The City Clerk’s Office has been preparing for the potential of a runoff election. We are doing everything we can to ensure a transparent and fair election takes place,” said City Clerk Marisa Stoller. “We have secured a printer through the RFP process, contracted with a vote tabulator, and have hired an outside consultant, Karen Goldman to train and supervise County-recommended election judges in the day-to-day signature verification and ballot counting operation that will take place in January.”
The City Clerk’s Office will run the special election in accordance with the City charter and code, as well as Title 31 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The City said the County Clerk and Recorder’s Office is still providing support for the election process, with the use of a mail ballot opener, staff training, and tabletop drop boxes.
The County is allowing the use of four, 24-hour ballot drop-off locations:
Colorado State Fairgrounds (outside the gate on Prairie Avenue)
950 S Prairie Ave., Pueblo, CO 81004
Colorado State University Pueblo (access from Gonzales Dr.)
2200 Bonforte Blvd., Pueblo, CO 81003
Lamb Branch Library (located behind the building)
2525 S. Pueblo Blvd., Pueblo, CO 81005
Pueblo County Courthouse (westside Court St.)
215 W 10th St., Pueblo, CO 81003
However, some ballot drop boxes in Pueblo County will be locked and unavailable for public use throughout the runoff election in January. An in-person drop-off location will be available at the City Clerk’s Office located at One City Hall Place, Pueblo, CO 81003 on the first floor of City Hall. This location is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. except for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday, Jan. 15.
On Election Day, Jan. 23, 2024, the Pueblo City Clerk’s Office will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. for ballot drop-off. Any ballot issues, including replacement ballots, can also be resolved at this office during normal office hours.
City of Pueblo voters can register to vote or update their voter registration online via the Secretary of State’s website at govotecolorado.gov.
City of Pueblo registered voters can anticipate ballots to be mailed out the first week of January. Replacement ballots can be made available in the Pueblo City Clerk’s Office if necessary. Voters can mail their ballots back if they would prefer not to use a drop box, but the City Clerk must receive their ballot by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, Jan. 23, 2024.
