EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office has called in the help of the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management to coordinate the November election, ahead of safety concerns presented by a presidential election forecasting record turnout.
2024 will be the first year El Paso County has utilized the PPROEM in an election. Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker said the decision was based on past incidents of poll worker intimidation and ballot vandalism.
"There was a lot of thought and a lot of considerations I put into making this decision," said Schleiker.
The PPROEM will help coordinate a law enforcement presence at each of the 38 voter service polling centers and many ballot boxes around the county. Schleiker said that the intent will be to monitor without law enforcement being visible to voters.
"That is a very fine line," he said. "Some voters may feel intimidated with law enforcement there, and they may not want to cast their ballot."