DENVER — The Colorado Democratic Party will move its election night watch party after Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul D. Lopez “strongly disagrees” with the party’s original location at Reel Works. .
Reelworks, located in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood, is being used by the city and county of Denver as a voter services and polling place for the November election. In a letter to the Colorado Democratic Party, Lopez said election night parties at the venue are considered campaign activities and are illegal within 100 feet of a polling place.
Lopez said the party insisted that attendees enter through an entrance with a separate address from the polling place. The clerk and recorder’s separate entrances are still part of one building, and the address at 1399 35th Street (the address of the door near where attendees enter) is the same between the City and County of Denver and Reel Works. He countered that it was the address specified in the rental agreement.
In a letter to Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Shad Murib and Executive Director Karin Asensio, Lopez said his office “cannot negotiate what election law says.”
“We also understand that you do not believe that election night parties constitute election campaigning, and that we will go the extra mile to protect voters. cannot,” Lopez wrote. “As the City of Denver Elections Division, our mission is to ensure that voters do not feel intimidated or pressured by canvassers, signage, or other political activity. We believe there is no other option than to acknowledge that this is the case, and we are confident that it will be recognized as such by the public and the media.”
Lopez said if the state Democratic Party continues with its plan, the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office will “consider all possible remedies, including litigation, to comply with election laws.”
In a joint statement released Tuesday afternoon, Lopez and Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Shad Murib announced that the party would be rescheduling the event to a different location.
“While Colorado Democrats gather with their friends, colleagues, and fellow Coloradans in another exciting location, we have made adjustments to ensure that every voter has the opportunity to vote at Reel Works/Trucks. I look forward to a smooth end to the night.” The joint statement reads:
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