Perry Swanson, The Gazette’s demographics reporter, dug up a study that shows the cost of divorce and unwed moms to taxpayers.    He says a recent study by the Institute for American Values, a self-described nonpartisan organization promoting marriage, and other advocacy groups found that when a couple divorces or an unmarried woman gives birth, taxpayers foot the bill.    The study estimated the cost at $455 million a year in tax-supported services in Colorado. That’s nearly double El Paso County’s 2008 budget.    The increased cost for criminal justice agencies alone is $167 million, the study found. That’s because men are better off living in holy matrimony with a woman, apparently.    “Marriage reduces the likelihood that adult men will commit crimes,” says the study written by Benjamin Scafidi, an economist at Georgia College and State University.    “Evidence suggests that boys raised in single-parent households are likely to commit crimes at much higher rates than boys raised in married households.”    Other costs: lost tax revenue and higher demand on tax-funded health care and child welfare.    Nationwide, the study said, divorce and unwed childbearing carries a tab of $112 billion annually.    Given societal changes, it might be hard to unring the bell, but Jim Pfaff, the institute’s president, wants to try. He said divorces should be harder to get, and churches and schools should promote benefits of lifelong marriage.    “We can all play a part in making families stronger in Colorado,” he said.GET READY TO VOTE    It goes without saying that elections should be carried out without political bias.    But El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Bob Balink, thinking it’s not clear to everyone, sent an e-mail to his elections staff:    “Elections are about politics; election processes NEVER should be. We must do EVERYTHING we can to maintain (or build) public confidence in election processes and election equipment; we must ensure that those eligible to vote understand the registration process and the opportunities to participate in elections; and, above all, we must conduct elections with a total commitment to honesty, fairness and accuracy.”    In other words, every vote counts. Make sure yours does.    The next chances are the Aug. 12 primary election and Nov. 4 general election. To get ready, drop by the field kiosks that Balink’s office opened Thursday.    They have forms to register to vote, update an address, change party affiliation and apply for a mailin ballot. Staffers are there 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.    The kiosks are in the Chapel Hills Mall on the upper level in the Dillard’s wing and in The Citadel mall on the lower level in the Macy’s wing.

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