AM Colorado, Wayne Williams, October 7, 2013
Station: KFKA, 1310 AM
Show: AM Colorado
Guests: Williams, Wayne
Link: http://www.1310kfka.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=42&Itemid=60
Date: October 7, 2013
Topics: Scott Gessler, Photo ID, Identification, Voter Access and Modernization Act, Voter Fraud Bill, House Bill HB13-1303, Business Registration, Raffles, Bingo, Notary Public, Customer Service, Website, Online Resources, Race for Governor, Elections, Same Day Voter Registration, Executive Director of the Independence Institute Jon Caldara, El Paso County, Larimer County, Weld County, Voter Turnout, 51st State, Secessionist Movement, Drivers’ License, Free Identification, Indigent Voters, Elderly Voters, Check Cashing, Transparency, Accountability, Leadership,
CO-HOST TOM LUCERO: Thank you for that, Wayne! Every Monday morning, it’s like dragging a child somewhere they don’t want to go. I fight for my two to three minutes to talk about the Broncos football game, and then Devon’s got me in a conversation about scrapbooking after that. So—
CANDIDATE FOR COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE AND EL PASO COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER WAYNE WILLIAMS: [laughs]
LUCERO: Thank you, for mentioning the Broncos game. So, Wayne, what’s the announcement you want to share with our listeners?
WILLIAMS: Well, it’s absolutely critical in Colorado that we have someone who is going to stand up for fair and clean elections and is going to work hard to make sure the Secretary of State’s office runs the way it should. And with Gessler’s decision to run for Governor, I’ve given it a lot of consideration, [I’ve] talked to a lot of folks and last week I filed papers to officially run for Secretary of State for Colorado
LUCERO: […] Scott Gessler who announced a couple of weeks ago that he is in fact joining the race on the Republican side to run for governor of the state of Colorado. So, Wayne, talk to us. What does the Secretary of State do? In addition to overseeing elections for state of Colorado, talk to us a little bit about this last legislative session – some of the bills that came out that impacted the Secretary of State’s office and citizens in the state of Colorado, with regards to elections, what positions you would have taken. What would you have done differently than current Secretary of State Scott Gessler? How would you have handled that?
WILLIAMS: Well, Scott and I both played an active role in opposition to the ‘Vote Fraud’ bill – the bill that allows folks to walk up and vote instantly without any actual residency prior to that time, without being registered prior to that time. I believe, like Scott did, that it’s important to have some safeguards in our election procedures to make sure that it’s a clean and fair election. We want to make sure that people are legally eligible to vote. I want to work hard to make sure every person who is legally eligible to vote has that opportunity to do so. And we did that here in El Paso County. We had the highest turnout in our history, since I’ve been Clerk and Recorder. We worked hard with this recall, with seven different sets of rules to make sure that voters knew what was going on. And we communicated with them, and they were able to have a great experience while voting. But, I think, in terms of legislative issues, there is still a number of things we need to look at. We need to look at fixing some of the problems in 1303 –which was the so-called ‘Voter Access and Modernization Bill’, but it actually went back to a centuries-old thing where you walk up and vote, which worked when people knew their neighbors. But, now we had 268 people in El Paso County who voted and who instantly registered. Some of those were legally entitled to do so, some may not have been. And you saw some publicity with Mr. Caldara coming down and doing that, but he certainly wasn’t alone in newly registering to vote in El Paso County in this election.
LENTZ: So, Wayne, I have a question for you. [Relates anecdote of Tom needing identification to buy cold medicine at the pharmacy, but…] when we go in to vote, we don’t have to show ID. What is the big issue with that, and why is it that there is such a controversy with it ?
WILLIAMS: You know, photo identification is very easy to get in Colorado. Every person who has a drivers’ license has one. But it’s not just limited to that. Even folks who may be old and to the point that they can no longer drive – they can still get an ID, and in fact in Colorado that is free. If you’re indigent and you don’t drive, you can get a free ID from the government. And so, requiring photo identification is a baseline of a clean and fair election. Legislation has been introduced, on a number of occasions. I have been up there to testify in favor of requiring photo ID, but it’s been killed on party line vote every time. There are those who don’t want that accountability and that transparency in the elections process. And it’s one of the things that I will continue to work for. And it’s one of those things that most people recognize – whether you’re cashing a check, whether it’s a payroll check, [or] a welfare check, whatever it is, you typically have to show ID in order to cash that check. You know, there was a blogger who showed that it’s easier to vote with a utility bill which can be easily forged, but you can’t even check out a library book with it. And so there’s a problem with that standard that doesn’t allow for integrity of the voting process. And it’s one of the things that I hope to continue to work on. Secretary of State’s office is also responsible for a number of other things. Business registration is done through the Secretary of State’s office. They’ve got some excellent online resources there and it’s very easy in Colorado for a business to register. And it’s very easy for a citizen then to follow up and say, “Hey, who actually owns this business? What is their paperwork?” And it’s available and accessible to the public. And that’s an important thing the Secretary of State’s office does. [It] also regulates bingos, raffles, and a few other things — notary publics. But those are the two major areas—are elections, and then the business registration system.
LUCERO: Joining us on the phone right now, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams, talking with us about his announcement that he made last week. He is going to jump into the race for Secretary of State for the state of Colorado. Current Secretary of State Scott Gessler will be vacating the office in his attempt to become the next governor of the state of Colorado. Wayne, how would you define your campaign? How would you – let me rephrase that. What are you going to be campaigning on? What are your top three, top one, top two issues that you’re going to be taking to the citizens of Colorado in hopes of becoming the next Secretary of State?
WILLIAMS: You know, those are actually on my website at winwithwayne.org. But they are, basically, fair and clean elections—making sure that we follow the laws that are there, that we work to improve the laws to address the loopholes and problems that are there; providing open and transparent government – providing great customer service, which is part of what the Secretary of State’s office does in the business area; and then ultimately, independent and principled leadership. And those are the major things that I am going to be focused on in this campaign. It’s on our website at winwithwayne.org. And I hope to be able to obtain support from across Colorado and so far it’s looking very good.
LENTZ: Okay. So that was my next question, Wayne. Where do people – because it is a state-wide race, where do those in northern Colorado who want to help you win for Secretary of State — where do they go to volunteer?
WILLIAMS: Winwithwayne.org has an opportunity to volunteer, to get involved in the campaign. I’m also going to be in northern Colorado quite a bit. I’ve been up there already at a picnic in Larimer County, and I’ve got folks in Weld County who are helping to organize the campaign. So – and I’ll be in other state –[correcting himself] counties across the state throughout the next year.
LUCERO: Was that a faux pas, there, where you said you’ll be in other states, making reference to the 51st state? You’re going to campaign up here until northern Colorado becomes the 51st state, there, Wayne?
WILLIAMS: [hearty laughter] You know, I’m ready to be Secretary of State for the entire state of Colorado. And it’s a long process, and I’m confident that process won’t be resolved before this election, given the necessity of legislative action at state and at the national level. And so, I am going to be working hard throughout all 64 counties of the current state of Colorado in this election.
LUCERO: Excellent. Excellent. Next time you’re up this way, Wayne, give us a holler. We’d love to have you join us in studio with us.
WILLIAMS: I will do that. Thank you, Tom, Devon. Y’all have a great day.
LENTZ: Thanks, Wayne. You, too.
