The Colorado State Republican Party (GOP) and the Arapahoe County Republican Party (AC-GOP) invite you to become a Poll Watcher by using our Poll Watch Volunteer Program for the upcoming 2022 General Election.

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If you are interested in serving as a Republican Poll Watcher you must:

• Be a Colorado resident who is 18 years or older,

• Be registered in Colorado to vote as a Republican,

• Obtain the necessary training and certification,

• Be formally appointed by our Arapahoe County Republican Party

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The Elections Integrity Operations Committee of the State Republican Party has created training that has been approved for Certification of Poll Watchers. Previously, the only available training was from the Colorado Secretary of State.

 

Due to the expanded content of our training, beyond the basic certification, we are requiring all our volunteers to receive their certification through our training program before being appointed as a Poll Watcher for this election.

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Your appointment is to be a Republican Poll Watcher at any of the 32 Voter Service Poll Centers as well as at the Elections Ballot Processing Warehouse Facility. All locations will be available on our scheduling tool for our volunteer Poll Watchers to schedule their preferred location and shift.

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Here is the Poll Watcher appointment process from Application to Polling Place:

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1. Suzy Q. Public (as an example) links to and completes the AC-GOP Poll Watcher Sign-Up Form. This form also contains all necessary links to the Colorado State GOP Poll Watcher Training Course. (see links below). When Suzy completes this Sign-up Form, it will be automatically transmitted to the AC-GOP.

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2. Suzy completes the on-line training and automatically receives a Certificate of Poll Watcher Training from the State GOP.

 

3. Suzy then downloads and saves a copy of the Certificate (we cannot replace it or give Suzy a copy of it, so downloading and saving is vital.)

 

4. As a result of her training and in a desire to be as professional as possible, Suzy downloads and reads the Rule 8, which governs Poll Watchers’ actions. She then understands the Poll Watcher legal rules and regulations. (linked below)

 

5. Suzy then resubmits the AC-GOP Poll Watcher Sign-Up Form after adding the certification date found on her Poll Watcher Training Certificate.

 

6. AC-GOP processes Suzy’s application and checks it against voter records to confirm she is a registered Republican and then submits it to the Arapahoe County Clerk. This submission has to be no less than 48 hours before the first shift Suzy indicated she wants to work. For Election Day, Tuesday, November 8th, the submission has to be by the close of business the previous Thursday, November 3.

 

7. After Suzy resubmits the Poll Watcher Sign-up Form, the AC-GOP emails Suzy the link to the on-line AC-GOP Poll Watcher Scheduling Tool.

 

8. We have designed our scheduling tool to make it easy for Suzy (you) to choose the location(s), date(s) and time(s) of her (your) choice. Each day, there are three shifts of three hours each, except on November 8, when there are four shifts, due to the longer hours on Election Day. After someone selects a shift, it will show as no longer being available. To cancel or modify your commitment, all one has to do is return to the tool, make the changes and everyone else will see that the shift is now available.

 

9. The County Clerk reviews and verifies the information that AC-GOP submitted to appoint Suzy.

 

10 The County Clerk then sends to the AC-GOP; 1) Suzy’s Appointment Certificate which authorizes her to be a Republican Poll Watcher, and 2) an unsigned Oath of Office.​

 

11. AC-GOP then emails to Suzy these two documents - her 1) Certificate and 2) unsigned Oath of Office. She downloads and saves these. She then prints a copy of the Oath for each shift she is planning on working. She also prints one copy (or more for her convenience) of the GOP Training Certificate and the Clerk’s Appointment Certificate which she will use for every shift.​

 

12. Before Suzy leaves home each time she is scheduled to work, she makes sure that she takes with her a copy of all 3 documents plus a photo ID:

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1. Unsigned Oath of Office

2. GOP Training Certificate

3. Arapahoe County Clerk’s Appointment Certificate

* A Photo ID

 

13. When Suzy reports for her shift, she asks the Election Judge, “who is the designated Watcher Contact?” and then presents her two Certificates to the Watcher Contact. Suzy should also have a photo ID with her in case the Watcher Contact requests to it to verify Suzy’s identity.

 

14. The Watcher Contact then examines, verifies and returns to Suzy her Training and Watcher Certificates. Then and only in the presence of the designated Watcher Contact, does Suzy attest to the Oath by dating and signing the blank Oath she brought along with her.

 

* Please don’t forget the preparation that Suzy took in this last step. A Poll Watcher who doesn’t possess the three critical documents, will be asked to leave immediately.

 

* Simply Having these documents electronically on your phone or tablet is NOT ACCEPTABLE – YOU MUST PRESENT PRINTED, HARD COPIES.

 

* Also, please remember, you must take a copy of the unsigned Oath with you to each shift you plan on working in addition to the two certificates. Remember – 3 documents plus your photo ID.

 

Links to AC-GOP Sign-up Form, State GOP Training and Certification Course and Rule 8 Regulations

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This is the link to the AC-GOP Poll Watcher Sign-up Form (see step 1)

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https://forms.gle/Q5CwpPfnuVxh8T1AA

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This is the link to the Colorado State GOP Training and Certification Courses (see step 2)

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https://coloradogop.newzenler.com/courses/colorado-election-watching

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This Is the link to Rule 8 to familiarize yourself with all the Poll Watcher Rules (see step 5)

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https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/rule_making/CurrentRules/8CCR1505-1/Rule8.pdf

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Interested Drop Box Watchers - The Colorado Secretary of State, Jena Griswold, instituted troublesome rules for Drop Box Watchers on August 30, 2022 as an update to Rule 8. As a result, we are unable to provide training or certification specifically to be an Appointed Republican Drop Box Watcher for this election.  

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QUESTIONS?  Please contact our Poll Watcher Coordinator, John Lamb, with any questions you may have about the program at: steamboatenergy@gmail.com

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THANK YOU FOR EXERCISING YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS A CITIZEN!!!