A group seeking the ouster of Saguache County Clerk & Recorder Melinda Myers submitted its recall petition to the county Monday. While the group must still gather approximately 600 signatures from registered voters, the submission was the first step for a recall election that could take place in December or early next year.
The petition lists eight points as grounds for a recall of Myers, who was sworn in to a second term in January. It said she had demonstrated gross negligence in her sworn duties and notes that both a November review by the Colorado Secretary of State and a June report from a statewide grand jury documented failings by her office. It also claims Myers has obstructed a second review proposed by the secretary of state’s office and that the secretary of state has received “numerous unresolved complaints” regarding the 2010 election.
The recall is the latest development from the November election in which an error by election personnel in the operation of the county’s vote-counting equipment led to a double counting of polling-place results for two precincts, while the mail-in ballots for those two precincts were excluded.
With the blessing of secretary of state’s office, Myers’ office counted the ballots again on Nov. 5, overturning the results in her race and that of Democratic incumbent County Commissioner Linda Joseph.
Steven Carlson, a Republican candidate for commissioner, and Carla Gomez, a Republican challenger for the clerk’s seat, found themselves behind.
Myers responded to the grounds of the recall, especially the allegation of gross negligence, by pointing to a November review by the secretary of state and the grand jury’s findings.
Full Article: Recall petition submitted for Saguache clerk – The Pueblo Chieftain: Local.