Colo. secretary of state hopeful speaks with Campus Press
In a small downtown Denver office yesterday some workers folded and stamped envelopes while others answered and directed phone calls. Although none of the workers were receiving weekly pay checks, they shared a common hope their pay would come on Nov. 7. These workers are pushing for the election of Ken Gordon as Colorado’s Secretary of State.
Among the workers was Gordon himself. He moved to Colorado after graduating from Boston University with a law degree in 1975. His first job in Colorado was as a public defender representing poor Coloradans from all different backgrounds. Gordon said he treated everyone he came into contact with fairly and with respect.
“If elected as Secretary of State I will do the same” Gordon said.
He plans to do this by making sure every vote gets accounted for.
“Voting is an essential right from which all other rights spring from,” Gordon said.
Gordon explained that in past elections not every vote had been accounted for. Viruses and complications with voting machines would lose peoples ballots.
“We need to test these machines to make sure they meet the minimum standards” Gordon said.
According to Gordon this task needs to be done and wasn’t accomplished by the last Secretary of State, Gigi Dennis.
Gordon and his opponent, Mike Coffman, share similar platforms and agendas in this election. Both prioritize the accuracy of the voting process, but Gordon says many other things set them apart.
“Coffman receives support from political action committees (PACs) of special interest groups, and I don’t believe a Secretary of State should take that money,” said Gordon.
Another difference, according to Gordon, deals with Referendum C. Coffman was opposed to Referendum C, the amendment permitting the state to spend the money it collects over its limit for the next five years on health care, public education, transportation projects and local fire and police pensions.
“Without Referendum C, college tuition at CU would be about four times as much,” Gordon said.
Not only does Gordon hope to get students involved and voting, but also voters who don’t affiliate themselves with a particular political party. Gordon proposed a bill in his agenda called the Unaffiliated Voters and Primary Elections. This bill proposes that independent/unaffiliated voters be allowed to participate in primary elections with out declaring a specific party.
Gordon visited Boulder while participating in the walk for Referendum C, and plans to visit more in the last weeks before elections.
Gordon hopes many of his votes will come from students.
“Young people don’t vote at high rates” Gordon said, ” I want to talk to students and get young people more involved.
