County commissioners are scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to eliminate traditional polling booths for the Aug. 10 primary and make it a mail-in ballot election only.

In a resolution, Bob Balink, El Paso County Clerk & Recorder, said a mail-in election would increase voter participation, reduce fraud and save the county an estimated $165,000.

But Tom Mowle, a Democrat who was appointed by Gov. Bill Ritter and is now running for the clerk’s job, said voters should have more choices.

“Voting is a basic American right. Even if we accept the Clerk’s argument that he will save money and effort, I don’t think cheap and easy should be the primary considerations in elections. Stinginess with our right to vote is no virtue.”

Balink, who has served two terms as clerk and is now running unopposed for the county treasurer’s job,  said in an e-mail he is merely supplying the commissioners with options.

 “Whatever they decide tomorrow is fine with us.”

The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners is likely to opt for keeping polling places, as well as early voting and mail-in ballots.

As a result of a new law, counties for the first time will have the option of conducting a mail-in ballot election during the primaries.

Mail-in ballot elections have been allowed in off years but not in general election years. They’ve been conducted in El Paso County in 2001, 2007 and 2009 without “any notable problems,” Balink said.

 “Voters should have as many choices as possible,” said Wayne Williams, a two-term commissioner who is also vying for the clerk’s job.

The county commissioners, all Republicans, said they were irritated by a Dec. 31 Gazette letter to the editor that Mowle wrote. In the letter, Mowle suggested that not only Balink but the commissioners were in favor of the all-mail election. In fact, the board set aside funds in its 2010 budget to conduct either type  of election, but expressed a strong preference for traditional elections.

“Understandably, Mr. Mowle’s handling of a record number of foreclosures as the Public Trustee has not left him time to follow the county’s budget discussions, but there is a certain amount of responsibility to be accurate before publicly disseminating information,” said commissioner Dennis Hisey, who earlier this week was unanimously elected chairman of the board.

Said Mowle, “I’d be very happy if they decided not to have the proposed mail-in-only election.”  —Call the writer at 476-4825.

“Journey From Zanskar” filmmaker Frederick Marx with one of the subjects of his film Photo by