Colorado Republican Party Chair Dave Williams, who criticized Dominion voting machines in the past, appears not averse to using them for the party’s upcoming state assembly.

Last month, Williams sent a request to El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker, asking for help with the elections that will be held at the April 6 state party assembly in Pueblo. 

“We need to contract with a clerk to administer paper ballots for the State Assembly,” Williams said in a a text message obtained by Colorado Politics. 

In addition to the help from the clerk, Williams asked for 3,500 paper ballots, and for those ballots to be machine-counted to ensure timely results. 

In a text message to Colorado Politics, Williams said no decisions have been made and that he is asking for a quote and what that would encompass.

“We are still deciding what exactly we are doing,” he said. “I’m leaving the decision in the hands of a committee but we are likely to tabulate by hand or scantron machine or combination of both.”

El Paso County uses Dominion Voting Systems machines to tabulate ballots, machines checked for reliability after recounts from the 2022 primaries. Tina Peters, who unsuccessfully ran for Secretary of State, claimed El Paso County’s voting machines were unreliable. She sued both then-El Paso County Clerk Chuck Broerman and Secretary of State Jena Griswold over that recount.

The machines performed with perfect accuracy, according to a spokesperson for the clerk.

Schleiker’s response to Williams pointed out that the timing for the state assembly is a little problematic for his office, given timelines tied to the March 5 presidential primary.

The last day a campaign can request a recount after the March 5 primary is March 27, and that recount, if requested, must be completed by April 9. 

The election canvass, when the clerk confirms the election results, is also around March 27, and there’s a 10-day period that follows when someone can challenge the election, Schlieker wrote.

“Our election tabulators are set up and tested for use in our upcoming 2024 presidential primary election and any recounts that may occur,” he said. “Per current Colorado Law and SOS Rules, these tabulators cannot be moved to another location. They are in a secure room with limited access and alarms under 24/7 video surveillance.” 

If Williams wants state assembly ballots to be counted using those tabulators, Schleiker said, the election would have to be set up in the El Paso County system, which would create a ballot.  

“Certification from jurisdiction to election setup, ballot printing, and ballot proofing can be lengthy, depending on the number of candidates and races,” Schlieker added.

Schlieker told Colorado Politics that he told Williams he would need to sign a contract with Dominion.

The matter was then turned over to state party treasurer Tom Bjorkland, who was sent contact information for a Dominion staffer. Nothing more came of it.

“What it came down to, I shared with them that I was willing to do the election as we would do for the Democratic party, free ballot boxes, locking devices,” Schlieker said. “But if you want my office to run that election, you would have to consider a contract with a vendor we are familiar with.”

Dominion is used by 62 out of 64 counties in Colorado.

“If you were to contract with our Dominion, and our staff is very familiar with that, we would do it for them,” Schlieker said, adding that where the conversation ended.

Williams has called for ending state use of Dominion Voting machines, claiming the machines were rigged in favor of President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

In 2022, Williams endorsed a candidate for El Paso County Clerk and Recorder who, he said, was the only candidate who would get rid of Dominion Voting machines. 

“Wait a minute,” Broerman said, when told about Williams’ request. “So, after three plus years of attacking the election system and equipment and Dominion in Colorado, and in El Paso County where he was elected many times, using that equipment, he demeans the equipment and process for political advantage. And now when it suits him because he has a need, he wants to use the very equipment he’s telling his supporters is not fit? That’s incredible.”

Broerman is a chief supporter of Jeff Crank, one of the Republicans Williams is running against in a congressional primary for the seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn.

Broerman noted that in 2016, the state GOP used El Paso County equipment for its assembly, which was held that year at the World Arena in Colorado Springs. He estimated there could be as many as 250 candidates for delegates to the Republican National Convention, with about 30 or 40 chosen from that pool. That means a ballot with at least 250 candidates on it, and that doesn’t include people who may declare their candidacy on the day of the assembly, which is allowed. 

That’s hundreds of thousands of votes to count, he said, adding doing hand counts by volunteer would take weeks.

“The irony is rich,” Broerman said.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” Schlieker added. “We’re here to help … for (the state party) to do it, everything has to be public,” and the party would have to go under contract with Dominion on their own.

“This needs to be on the up and up. I don’t want anyone hiding behind my office doors. It has to be transparent,” Schlieker said. 

Matt Crane, head of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said Williams has been spreading unfounded claims of a stolen election and about Dominion for his own political purposes.

This shows that he knows these systems — whether it’s Dominion or Clear Ballot — count ballots accurately, quickly and efficiently, Crane said, adding, “If you needed any more proof about how disingenuous and hypocritical he has been about this, this is the perfect example.”

Williams shrugged off the attacks.

“Obtaining bids from clerks who claim to be fair administrators of elections shouldn’t be controversial, but when losing campaigns like Crank’s want to deflect from their anti-Trump messaging, it’s not surprising to see them desperately mudslinging,” he said in a text message to Colorado Politics.

Colorado Politics reporter Ernest Luning contributed to this report.