Meet the election judges behind La Plata County’s voting process
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DURANGO, Colo. — Selected community members in La Plata County began training as election judges with less than a month before Election Day 2024.
Election judges collect ballots from drop boxes, verify signatures, greet voters at service centers and work late into the night on Election Day tabulating votes.
More importantly, these judges are community members who dedicate two to three weeks of their time before the election, working for minimum wage to help ensure a fair and efficient voting process. They could be your neighbors, teachers or even pickleball partners.
“It’s really important to have local people that are engaged and committed to that community versus hiring [election judge] as a job,” said Tiffany Lee, the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder.
“It makes people feel it’s more trustworthy and that they’re representing our local issues and community,” she said.
This year, more than 400 people applied to become election judges in La Plata County, but only around 90 were selected.
Election judge candidates are pulled from a list provided by the county assembly, with party members having more of a chance of officiating the election. Lee also takes into account whether someone has previously worked an election, if they have the time to train and monitor and if they have the computer skills necessary to certify votes.
Ed Cash, a retired high school social studies teacher with a background in political science, has always been interested in civic engagement. After retiring, it seemed natural for him to become an election judge, and he worked his first election during the 2020 presidential race.
“One of the things that I love about the election judge is I’m strongly opinionated,” Cash said. “But it was an amazing atmosphere where you have Democrats and Republicans and unaffiliated voters who come together for a common cause to make sure our elections are fair and run correctly, despite the tension and the hopes that each side had.”
Jade Pruett, a recent political science graduate from Fort Lewis College, has been involved in election judging since she was 16 — the minimum age required for members of the public to serve. Now 21 and working full-time in the Clerk and Recorder’s office, Pruett returned to help in this election.
Her journey began with a Durango High School newspaper project during which she spoke with Lee to learn about the mail-in ballot process. Fascinated by the steps involved in counting ballots, she signed up as an election judge.
Election judges in La Plata County have an average age of 73 and Pruett stands out as one of the youngest participants. Judges usually work two to three weeks before Election Day, depending on their role. The nature of the work makes it challenging for those with full-time jobs to participate.
Election judges must be available for at least 15 days leading up to Election Day to cover various roles, including ballot collection, envelope sorting, and ballot duplication. They are required to attend a weekday training session, and while the role is paid at a minimal rate, prior election experience is not mandatory; however, experienced applicants may be given preference.
“Just like how voting is strengthened when you have a variety of voices that show up,” Pruett said, “I think it would really strengthen the process if more people tried to get into election judging, and you could diversify the age and background of people.”
After moving to Durango from North Carolina in 1998 for retirement, Buck Skillen has served as an election judge for 12 years. However, he won’t participate this year due to a knee replacement. A political enthusiast, Skillen initially learned about the election judge role through his curiosity about the process and learning more about it from Lee.
During his time as a judge, he has witnessed significant changes in the process, such as the transition from town precincts to mail-in ballots. Signature verification has also evolved, moving from paper comparison to digital scanning.
Yet, signature verification is not his preferred task. “It’s a little bit more tedious than I would enjoy. You’re stuck in a chair staring at a computer,” Skillen said. “But if [Lee] asked me to do it, I’d do it without question.”
Lee, who has served as La Plata County clerk since 2010, said she feels fortunate to work in a community where people are eager to get involved. However, selecting judges from a large pool of candidates can be challenging.
“When we did polling place elections many years ago, I hired 300 to 350 people,” Lee said. “Because of mail-in ballots and the voter service centers, we’ve been able to decrease the number of people we need. However, it increased the qualifications they need.”
Each judge undergoes extensive training, including four to six hours of online and in-person sessions. Computer skills have also become essential. Lee aims to involve election judges in the March and June elections as well so that they are well-trained and understand the process by November.
“It’s not just volunteering time to do something for one day or a few hours,” Lee said. “It’s a full-time job with credentialing.”
As Election Day approaches, the work can quickly ramp up, and judges may work long hours.
Skillen recalls transporting ballots and driving between the office and various drop boxes, putting nearly 300 miles on his vehicle on one Election Day.
Cash once worked 16 hours straight on Election Day to ensure everything was completed. Despite the long hours, many judges are eager to work on Election Day and see the process through.
“I would love for people to become election judges,” Cash said. “It’s a wonderful way to be involved in your community, to work with really strong members of your community, to make your community safer, better. And we get along when we work together.”
If you’re interested in becoming an election judge, contact your local county clerk for more information.