Federal uncertainty reshapes Denver's election prep

Federal uncertainty reshapes Denver's election prep

Denver election officials are preparing for scenarios ranging from blizzards and power outages to federal immigration agents at the polls as November's midterms approach.

Why it matters: With Election Day less than seven weeks away, officials are preparing for federal actions that may never happen — but could disrupt voting if they do.

Driving the news: One major uncertainty disappeared Monday when the Supreme Court blocked President Trump's plan to impose new mail-ballot restrictions before the midterms.

  • Colorado election officials had been preparing for the possibility that the rule could hamper the state's mail-ballot system.
  • The Colorado County Clerks Association said Monday's ruling avoids "significant disruption and confusion" so close to the election.

    • Zoom in: Denver is also asking a federal judge to block armed federal immigration agents from conducting enforcement at polling locations.

  • The city filed the lawsuit last week with Latino civil rights and government watchdog groups, seeking a ruling before voting begins.
  • Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López doubled down in an op-ed Monday, writing they're acting now "before a single Denver voter has to decide whether casting a ballot is worth the risk."

    • State of play: Denver election workers are developing protocols for identifying federal agents, documenting their presence and de-escalating encounters, López told Axios.

    Reality check: There is no known plan for ICE agents to target Denver polling places.

  • Johnston's spokesperson, Jon Ewing, told Axios the city has received no specific threat and called the lawsuit "preemptive."
  • Border czar Tom Homan and Department of Homeland Security officials say there are no plans to target polling places for ICE enforcement.
  • And López himself said he doesn't expect it. "But ... we prepare for every scenario," he told Axios.

    • The big picture: For López, planning for the once-unthinkable has become part of running an election.

  • He took office in 2019 — just before the pandemic and the upheaval surrounding the 2020 presidential election — and says threats, misinformation and heightened security have colored virtually his entire tenure.
  • "I don't know what it's like to be an elections official" outside the post-2020 environment, López told Axios.

    • What's next: Colorado ballots start going out Oct. 5.

  • López is urging Denverites to vote early, use one of the city's 49 drop boxes and contact his office before spreading reports online of suspicious activity.