Secretary of State’s Office: Election Supervisor appointed to run the Pueblo County Primary Election

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- One day after an Election Observer was appointed to assist in the Pueblo County Primary Election, the Secretary of State's Office has announced an Election Supervisor is now necessary. According to the Secretary of State's Spokesperson Annie Orloff, seven formal complaints have been filed against Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder Gilbert "Bo" Ortiz.

Drake Rambke will be the Election Supervisor appointed. The state says the Pueblo Clerk and Recorder's Office, "will take any and all lawful direction from Rambke and any other Secretary of State designee on any and all election matters." An Election Supervisor differs from an Election Observer in that a Supervisor now can take control of the Primary Election, instead of only "examining the conduct of any aspect of any election in counties they have been appointed including the monitoring of the clerk's office's activities, process, and procedures."

The Secretary of State's Office confirmed multiple errors that 13 Investigates outlined in reports, including "ballots with the incorrect State House race were sent to voters in Pueblo County’s Precinct 209," and Ortiz's office "omitted the County Commissioner District 3 race from a substantial number of ballots mailed to voters in Pueblo."

Tuesday, 13 Investigates spoke with multiple candidates running in the Pueblo County Primary Election. From the Clerk and Recorders race, to County Commissioners hopefuls, to House District candidates. Many of whom told 13 Investigates they were the seven that filed the formal complaints.

13 Investigates obtained the complaint the candidates filled with the Secretary of State's Office. One of the requests was for an Election Supervisor to be appointed.

The Pueblo County Primary Election is six days away.