Recount shows Colorado town passed fracking ban, but judge's order says it can't certify the results

A measure to ban hydraulic fracturing for five years in the Denver suburb of Broomfield initially fell 13 votes short last month, but a recount last week revealed that it had actually passed by 20 votes, making Broomfield the fourth Colorado town to pass a fracking ban in the November elections. But then a district court judge "issued an order barring Broomfield from certifying the election results and ordered elections officials to comply with state elections law," in response to a lawsuit filed by pro-fracking group Broomfield Balanced Energy Coalition, Megan Quinn reports for the Broomfield Enterprise. (Enterprise photo by David Jennings: A Broomfield resident collects signatures in July to get the anti-fracking bill on the ballot)

In a statement issued Wednesday, the BBEC "said the group has repeatedly asked Broomfield for 'basic election information that our designated election watchers are entitled to review under state law,' including vote logs and access to what election workers talked about during alleged closed-door sessions," Quinn writes. The group said they were denied the information, and that “instead of jamming incomplete results through the … certification process, city election officials should have complied with our information request and engaged in an open process to fix what was broken, before declaring the vote count as final." 

City and County Attorney Bill Tuthill said Broomfield has given election watchers fair access to the election, Quinn writes."Because Broomfield has already certified the election results, Tuthill likened the order to ordering a gay couple not to attend a prom that already happened a week ago." Tuthill told Quinn, "At some point in time, you have to say the election is over." The town plans to file a motion with the judge to reconsider. (Read more)