May 01, 2012 06:20 PM UTC

Gessler is actually right for once.

•  
• by: Dan Willis

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

As much as I squawk about Sec. of State Scott Gessler misinterpreting the law to his own ends, I feel I have to give him props when he is actually right about something.

Today the AP is reporting about a dispute between Gessler and the El Paso County Clerk, Wayne Williams.

Williams wants to cancel the primary election for the parties that do not have contested primaries. However, he has contested GOP primaries, so they would have go on as planned.

Gessler maintains a clerk cannot cancel one party’s primary and hold another’s.

Having reread the recently passed law the allows primaries to be canceled, it clearly states thay if any contested race exists, the primary must proceed as normal. Gessler is arguing the side of the law for once.

I can understand why Williams would want to cancel the other parties’ primaries. It would be a big money saver (he estimates $68,000). But, the law is not worded that way, plain and simple. It would be a worthwhile conversation for the legislature to have about changing the law.