Fox 31 report on voting machines omitted former GOP secretary of state's role in certification problems

Summary: In reporting on Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman's (R) impending decision about the possible recertification of Colorado's electronic voting systems, Charlie Brennan of KDVR Fox 31 stated that "[a] lawsuit against the former Colorado secretary of state resulted in a judge's finding last year that Colorado had done an abysmal job of certifying its electronic voting systems." Brennan, however, did not identify the former secretary of state as Republican Gigi Dennis.

During a December 16 News at Nine O'Clock segment about an impending decision whether to recertify the security of Colorado voting machine systems, KDVR Fox 31 reported that "[a] lawsuit against the former Colorado secretary of state resulted in a judge's finding last year that Colorado had done an abysmal job of certifying its electronic voting systems." However, reporter Charlie Brennan failed to identify the "former Colorado secretary of state" as Republican Gigi Dennis.

Fox 31 anchor Leland Vittert introduced the segment by stating, "2008 will be an important year for Colorado voters. But one potential hurdle in the road is a looming decision about how we, right here in Colorado, will go about casting our votes." Brennan then reported on Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman's expected announcement about the electronic voting systems and "how many, if any, of the current systems he has recertified."

As Colorado Media Matters has noted (here, here, and here), the Rocky Mountain News reported that in 2006, "Dennis was sued by a group of 13 residents who alleged that the testing process was flawed and failed to prove that the electronic voting equipment was secure and accurate." The Denver Post reported that in his ruling, Judge Lawrence Manzanares found that "Dennis' office never created minimum security standards for the machines -- as required by state law." The Post further reported Manzanares' finding that under former Gov. Bill Owens' (R) administration, "the state did an 'abysmal' job of documenting testing during the certification process."

Coffman announced December 17 that his office would ban for the 2008 presidential election numerous electronic voting machines used in counties across Colorado because, as the News reported on its website, "they are inaccurate and insecure."

From the December 16 broadcast of KDVR Fox 31's News at Nine O'Clock:

VITTERT: 2008 will be an important year for Colorado voters. But one potential hurdle in the road is a looming decision about how we, right here in Colorado, will go about casting our votes. Fox 31's Charlie Brennan explains in tonight's political roundup.

[begin video clip]

BRENNAN: County elections officials and voter advocates will be hanging on every word Monday morning from this man: Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman. But not everyone will take what he has to say at face value.

AL KOLWICZ (Colorado Voter Group): We have long experience with election officials who are very expert at telling partial stories, making things look OK. And we're very distrustful of that in general.

BRENNAN: The subject at hand is electronic voting machines, touted by many as the best path toward an accurate vote count, but already with a checkered history in Colorado. A lawsuit against the former Colorado secretary of state resulted in a judge's finding last year that Colorado had done an abysmal job of certifying its electronic voting systems. Monday morning Coffman will announce how many, if any, of the four current systems he has recertified.

STEPHANIE O'MALLEY (Denver clerk and recorder): It's a huge deal for a lot of reasons.

BRENNAN: In 2008, a year Colorado's hosting the Democratic National Convention, Denver Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley says Colorado's 64 counties could be forced to make expensive and time-consuming changes on the fly.

O'MALLEY: This is a huge, huge decision that we're all wanting some answers around.

BRENNAN: Kolwicz's group and others would love to see the state return to paper ballots, arguing that, for one, it makes for easier verification.

KOLWICZ: We believe that you must have a ballot that the voter can mark and actually confirm that the marks are what the voter tended.

BRENNAN: The future of how we vote in Colorado will start to take shape tomorrow.

O'MALLEY: We need to be able to move forward.

BRENNAN: Charlie Brennan, Fox 31 News.

[end video clip]

VITTERT: We will start putting all of these processes to the test sometime soon. Colorado will hold its presidential caucuses on February 5th. Twenty-one other states will hold their primaries that day as well.

—T.S.P.