County clerks celebrate election heroes on the eve of Election Day
KDVR Fox 31
DENVER (KDVR) — Tuesday is Election Day, but ahead of that, election workers were celebrated on National Election Hero Day.
Election workers said they are ready for what could be a long day on Tuesday. They want voters to remain confident in the state's system.
At the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder's Office, more than 800 workers like Bruce are gearing up to protect the state's elections. The bad guys they are fighting this year are the bad actors spreading misinformation.
"These people are extremely cognizant of computer security, cybersecurity and physical security. And we protect the personal identifiable information of everybody religious. There'll always be some idiot out there that doesn't understand what's going on, but I'm fine," Bruce said.
Among the large group of Republican, Democratic and unaffiliated staffers are workers who have returned year after year. Longtime workers like Marilyn, back for her fifth presidential election, said layers of hard work go into every step in counting ballots.
"Come take a tour and just see how it is and see how the process works. It's so unbelievable how we take care of every little thing. And the staff- we have such a good staff to help us," Marilyn said.
Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez said for the most part, her election workers have been greeted with respect and hard work.
"These are your neighbors and your friends. Our democracy only functions when we all participate. So not only do I hope that everybody votes. I also hope they understand that these are normal people running our elections. It's people from all walks of life, all political parties, and your neighbors, your friends, they want to make sure this runs well," said Gonzalez.
Clerk Gonzalez said 2,000 people applied for the 800 available positions, showing just how much interest exists around this year's election.
Gonzalez said voter turnout has been lower than what the county saw at this point in 2020, but in 2022, 55% of ballots received overall came in the last four days of voting. She said her office could be gearing up to see something comparable this time.