GOLDEN, Colo. — Deep in the bowels of the Jefferson County Election Office lurks a secret weapon — a weapon so effective and so irresistible, that Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez only brings it out for very important occasions.
Like elections.
That secret weapon is none other than 90-year-old county election judge Marilyn Whisenand.
With an endless supply of energy and a sparkling personality to match, it’s hard to deny her uncanny ability to bring people together for one of democracy’s most fundamental acts — casting a ballot.
The longtime Coloradan and retired CoorsTek lab technician said she made her way into the election profession by way of a serendipitous phone call.
“In 2007, I was retired, and I had a relative working as an election judge in Jefferson County,” Whisenand said. “She was doing the hiring for judges and called me because she knew I worked part-time jobs — little ones — and said, ‘I need some help. Would you be interested in being a judge?’”
Whisenand recalled going to the county office for an interview, as it was a requirement at the time to be an election judge.
> Read the full story at the Denver Gazette.
