DENVER — The Colorado Democratic Party will move its Election Night watch party after Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul D. López "strongly [opposed]" the party's original location at ReelWorks.
ReelWorks, located in the city's Five Points neighborhood, is being used by the City and County of Denver as a voter service and polling center for the November election. In a letter to the Colorado Democratic Party, López said an Election Night Party at the venue would be considered electioneering, which is illegal within 100 feet of a polling location.
According to López, the party argued that attendees would enter through an entrance that has a separate address from the polling location. The clerk and recorder countered that the separate entrances still belong to one building, and the 1399 35th Street address — the address of the door near where attendees would enter — is the address on the City and County of Denver's lease agreement with ReelWorks.
In his letter, which was addressed to Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib and Executive Director Karin Asensio, López said his office "cannot negotiate what election law dictates."
"We also understand that you do not believe an Election Night party constitutes electioneering, and that you are willing to make extra effort to protect voters. It is just not something we can risk," López wrote. "Our charge as Denver’s Election Division is to ensure no voter will feel intimidated or pressured by campaign personnel, signage, or other political activities. Unfortunately, we do not believe there is any way around acknowledging that the state’s Democratic Party event is inherently political, and we certainly believe it would be perceived that way by members of the public and media."
López said if the state Democratic Party continued with its plan, the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office would "explore all available remedies to comply with election law, up to and including litigation."
In a joint statement issued Tuesday afternoon, López and Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib announced that the party would move its event to another location.
"We have worked out arrangements to ensure that every voter has an opportunity to vote at Reelworks/Tracks while Colorado Democrats gather at another exciting location with friends, colleagues, and fellow Coloradans. We're looking forward to a smooth election night," the joint statement reads.
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