2022 Colorado General
El Paso County Clerk & Recorder CANDIDATES
LISA WILKES
Democratic Candidate Information
Campaign Website URL: www.LisaWilkes.org
Email Address: info@LisaWilkes.org
Occupation/Vocation: Commissioner
Resident of El Paso County: 21 years with 2 years in Seattle
Experience
What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as Clerk and Recorder that will benefit our county?
As a Commissioner on the Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission, I have helped to redistrict the whole state of Colorado. With the passing of Colorado House Bill 21-1047, the process of redistricting the County Commissioner Districts will align with the process I implemented as a commissioner. This is a vital role the Clerk and Recorder does for El Paso County. With over 15 years in the IT field, I have a strong project management background. The position of the Clerk and Recorder is one that oversees many different departments with constantly moving needs and deadlines. My skill set allows me to easily manage multiple complex situations with transparency and efficiency.
Vision
What is your vision for being our county’s Clerk and Recorder?
As the Clerk I want to acknowledge the successes of the past, while working to bring about more accessibility and transparency to the position. I want to invite others to participate as election judges so they can see the security measures, the tasks being done, and how we protect our data. I would like to work seamlessly within all the wheelhouses of the Clerk and Recorder, following the laws that govern the County’s working. We can utilize more technology to make sure that we increase our efficiency for all of El Paso’s constituents.
Clerk and Recorder's Role
What are the roles, rights, and duties of the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder?
The Clerk and Recorder in El Paso County is responsible for overseeing four different departments that all have very important functions within our county’s management. One department serves as Clerk to the board of County Commissioners, taking care of all the paperwork and requirements they need to govern the County. Another department is the Motor Vehicles Department, which is responsible for the licensing of our cars and drivers. The Records Department is responsible for keeping, updating, and providing access to all our important records, including birth, death, and marriage records. The final, and some would say most important, is our Elections Department, which is responsible for facilitating smooth, fair, transparent, and accessible elections for the electorate of El Paso County.
Operational Changes
How would you run the Clerk and Recorder’s office differently from your predecessor?
I would try to bring in more computerization of tasks at the Dept of Motor Vehicles to increase efficiency and reduce wait times for our customers. I would also make voting more accessible with the addition of more drop boxes within our County so that boxes would be in a reasonable walking distance in our metropolitan areas. I would make sure that the County Commissioner Districts are drawn by an independent commission whose members accurately represent the political affiliations of the county, including unaffiliated voters. This step will make voting in El Paso County more fair and transparent.
Election Integrity
Is the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Election Department doing enough to ensure election integrity? If not, what are your proposals to secure our Colorado Elections?
The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Election Department does a detailed look at signatures, which is a good way to catch those who would fraudulently sign their name to someone else’s ballot. We then take those cases to the District Attorney. We also work to ensure no person can vote more than one time. I believe the Department is following the laws and is working hard to prevent fraud. The best way to secure our elections is to invite the public in as Election workers so they see the process firsthand. They will then be able to see the integrity that comes with having Mail-in ballots and in-person voting. Transparency is the most important key.
Colorado Secretary of State
Do you believe that Colorado’s current Secretary of State is facilitating or hindering the Clerk and Recorder’s performance of sworn duties?
The job of the Secretary of State is to oversee the work done by the Clerk and Recorders to maintain integrity and to provide a check and balance to the hard work the Clerks are responsible for. The Secretary of State also fields some of the work around non-county candidates and provides a standardization that the Clerks help to maintain. This is all done to facilitate the Clerk and Recorder’s performance, and to make for the most transparent, and standardized elections for our electorate. Checks and balances and processes and procedures are there to make sure that all levels of our government uphold the law, regardless of their own personal affiliations.
Satellite Offices
Given the population growth in Colorado Springs, what is your position on the number and operation of satellite offices that the Clerk and Recorder currently has in place?
Our current Clerk and Recorder has spent time expanding the amount of satellite offices, but we still need more options. We could investigate what is possible for a virtual office, see what work could be done with both our staff and constituents being remote. This feature will help people by providing shorter wait times in the comfort and safety of their own home. This is something especially important to keep business moving in unprecedented times, such as with COVID, while still protecting the health of all involved. We need more voting boxes, and small offices with only a ballot box and kiosk could help those that need something done but don’t have their own computer.
Department Priorities
What are your priorities for the following departments: a. Recording b. Motor Vehicles c. Election
For both Recording and Motor Vehicles the largest improvement would be to provide virtual offices where both staff and customers could get work done with us from the comfort and convenience of their residence.
As for Elections, increasing transparency and accessibility is my main priority. There are many checks and balances that we can advertise. People can see those security functions firsthand by becoming an election judge or staff at election times. We can also increase accessibility by providing more locations within a reasonable walking distance in metropolitan areas. The mail-in ballot option increases the time for voting, but more boxes will help people to be able to potentially walk to a ballot box to participate in democracy.
STEVE SCHLEIKER
Republican Candidate Information
Campaign Website URL: www.SteveSchleiker.com
Email Address: Schleiker4ElPasoCounty@gmail.com
Occupation/Vocation: El Paso County Assessor
Military Background: Veteran / United States Marine Corps
Resident of El Paso County: 47 years
Experience
What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as Clerk and Recorder that will benefit our county?
Former United States Marine, 47 year resident of our county, and current County Assessor, I have no doubt that I’m the most qualified person to be your next Clerk. I’m passionate about making El Paso County a better place for everyone.
I have an undergraduate degree in IT Management, an Executive Master’s in Business Administration, and a Master’s in Project Management.
I’m the only Constitutional Fiscal Conservative in this campaign, and at the end of this year I will have returned surpluses totaling over $650,000.00, since being elected as your Assessor with no operating budget increases for 7 consecutive years.
Vision
What is your vision for being our county’s Clerk and Recorder?
Before our 2024 Presidential Election, my vision and goals are to regain our public trust in our local elections. I will give all our citizens the agency and space to feel empowered. And will lock in open government reforms.
I will focus on Election Security and Integrity and potential property fraud, and I will provide all property owners with fraud protection at no cost. Property owners will be able to opt in to this program and notify them that somebody has filed a deed or lien on their property. I will work directly with our District Attorney, CSPD, and EPSO Investigative Offices to determine if fraud has taken place and charge and prosecute those that offend.
Clerk and Recorder's Role
What are the roles, rights, and duties of the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder?
The Office of Clerk & Recorder is where many transactions occur between the County Government and its citizens.
The Motor Vehicle Department is responsible for the certification of Motor Vehicle Titles and Registrations and acts as a Division of the Colorado State Department of Revenue.
The Elections Department is responsible for conducting all Primary, General, and Special Elections for the County. The Department maintains the voter registration rolls and works with other municipalities to assist with their elections.
The Recording Department is responsible for recording, indexing, copying, and preserving permanent public documents.
Our Clerk to the Board attends and prepares agendas, maintains minutes, attests the Chair’s signature, and preserves and catalogs the official records and documents of the Board.
Operational Changes
How would you run the Clerk and Recorder’s office differently from your predecessor?
Fewer than half of our citizens are confident that their vote will be counted correctly. Most say their ballot will not matter anyway because corporate interests dominate the political process.
Election Security, Integrity, Property Fraud, and Transparency will be my primary focus.
I bring the ability to query Assessor, Treasurer, Utilities, Realtor, and Coroner data to assist in the cleaning up of our voter rolls. I am the only candidate that can understand the queried data and make the necessary changes. Who owns the property, pays the property taxes, and pays the property utility bill? Is it a commercial, residential, multi-family, or mixed-use property? And who has passed away is vital information to update our voter rolls.
Election Integrity
Is the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Election Department doing enough to ensure election integrity? If not, what are your proposals to secure our Colorado Elections?
Our Election Staff has worked tirelessly to ensure safeguards are in place to secure the integrity of the process. However, I do not believe there is a perfect Office or Department; and I will work on improving processes and staff knowledge.
I will implement an annual multi-layered forensic audit of all election hardware and software.
This audit shall comprise three separate audits performed by third-party auditors.
Each audit shall analyze the hacking vulnerability of election equipment software and hardware. Verification that malicious malware was not installed, a test to ensure that tabulators were not sending or receiving information over the internet, and confirmation that vote switching did not occur.
These results will be shared with our citizens.
Colorado Secretary of State
Do you believe that Colorado’s current Secretary of State is facilitating or hindering the Clerk and Recorder’s performance of sworn duties?
Our Secretary of State serves as the Chief Executive of an Office that oversees and administers many laws and rules. Colorado’s business and commercial statutes for for-profit and nonprofit corporations. Colorado Election Code, Voter Registration Law, Campaign Finance Laws, Lobbyist Regulation, Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act, Bingo and Raffles Laws, and Notaries Public Laws.
Our current Secretary of State has issued emergency rules and continually oversteps the powers of the office, and has most certainly turned this office into a partisan and biased office, and is no longer a neutral and fair referee office for the citizens of Colorado. This office is not different from our Clerk, an impartial referee for all citizens.
Satellite Offices
Given the population growth in Colorado Springs, what is your position on the number and operation of satellite offices that the Clerk and Recorder currently has in place?
I am a strong proponent of smaller, more efficient, and more effective government. I will continue to push for processes that make things easier for our citizens.
As Assessor, I have saved working families in El Paso County time and money that have eliminated unneeded annual trips to the office, and I will do the same as the Clerk.
However, I also recognize that our citizens want a person to answer the phones and want to visit with an actual person to get their needs addressed.
So yes, I support satellite offices. In fact, and recently, I worked with our Sheriff to set up a new satellite office in Falcon, CO, at no additional tax burden to our taxpayers.
Department Priorities
What are your priorities for the following departments: a. Recording b. Motor Vehicles c. Election
Our Clerk and Recorder’s Office is the Ginzue Knife of local governance – it releases records, issues licenses, runs our local elections, and could probably cut through a tin can if you need it too.
Many of us visit the Clerk’s Office every year for one thing or another. We all need to register our vehicles, renew our driver’s licenses as veterans, request a copy of our DD214 or our Warranty Deed to our home, request a marriage or civil union license, and VOTE.
All of these departments are just as important as the others and will get the same attention and dedication from me as your Clerk & Recorder.
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Christian voting
Voting is a simple, yet significant way to do something about public policy in our country. As people of faith, we will be held accountable for our actions, as well as our lack of action. (Luke 12:48)
Biblical worldview
By diligently learning, applying, and trusting God’s truths in every area of our lives, we can begin to develop a deep comprehensive faith that will stand against the unrelenting tide of our culture’s non-biblical ideas.
Vote your values
The issues of the day change. Political parties and platforms change. God’s Word never changes. The vote of every Christian should be based on the principles of Scripture and not persuasive personalities.
Electing righteous leaders
Bad governance and our loss of freedom is the direct result of the church’s failure to disciple. When the citizenry do not seek to be obedient to God’s Law, they vote in wicked and corrupt candidates, who then trample underfoot the God-given liberties of the people.