Truth and Consequences

Pearl St, Boulder, CO

Dear Restore the Balance Community,

Truth and Consequences

How we vote has real-world consequences; politics turns into policy. So it's not just which candidate we vote for that matters; it's also whether we trust the process itself. That trust is foundational to a functioning democracy.

Want an RTB Yard Sign? — Pick-up schedule

Election Integrity: Myth vs. Fact

Myth: Most ballots are cast electronically with no paper record.

Fact: 99% of voters nationwide will cast a ballot with a paper trail this year.

Myth: Vote counting happens in secret.

Fact: Every state allows poll watchers, public and partisan, to observe counting directly.

Myth: Thousands of noncitizens are voting.

Fact: The most rigorous study on this (Brennan Center, 2016, 42 jurisdictions, 23.5 million votes) found roughly 0.0001% suspected noncitizen voting. Higher estimates from other studies have faced serious methodological criticism.

States also retain ballots for 22 months after a federal election, and regularly clean voter rolls (over 21 million outdated records removed nationwide in 2024). Meanwhile, local election officials are asking for more support, not less, citing aging equipment and reduced cybersecurity funding.

Want to go deeper? Three genuinely cross-partisan resources:

"United in Security," from the Bipartisan Policy Center, R Street Institute, and the Institute for Responsive Government. Read it here.

"Prioritizing Achievable Federal Election Reform," from a coalition spanning BPC, AEI, Issue One, R Street, and Unite America. Read it here.

NCSL's Elections Information Hub, tracking state election rules as they change. Explore it here.

Coffee with Your Congressman is happening TUESDAY in Grand Junction!

9:00–10:30 AM | First Floor Conference Room, Mesa County Old Courthouse. 

Stop by for coffee and conversation. No RSVP is required, and everyone from Colorado’s Third District is welcome. 

Mail Ballot Verification System: What the Reporting Shows

A whistleblower has raised concerns to Senator Richard Blumenthal about a new USPS system verifying mail ballots, built to implement a March executive order from President Trump. Reporting from NBC News, NPR, Axios, and ABC News confirms the system was built in just a few months, far faster than typical, and, as designed, a single unscanned ballot in a batch could get the whole batch rejected and sent back to the state.

Context: the underlying order is currently blocked by a federal judge, so this is about what could happen, not something that's happened. USPS hasn't substantively responded.

Votebeat's reporting. (a nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom focused specifically on election administration)

NPR's reporting.

In the News: FBI Searches Ohio Voter Registration Group's Office

In June, federal agents searched the offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a voter registration group, as part of an ongoing investigation. PBS NewsHour has more. Colorado has strong, secure election systems, but that's no reason for complacency this cycle.

Recommended

• Song by Anthony Garcia: Poncho Villa Rides Again.

• Indivisible: Hands off our vote! Long presentation, but good info. 

Invitation to RTB Writers Group

RTB's Writers Group is looking for new members to write Letters to the Editor, Op-Eds, social posts, and communications to our representatives, advancing RTB's mission of collaboration, civility, and rejecting extremism from any direction. Interested? Email restorethebalance@outlook.com.

Get Out the Vote: Help Spread the Word

The surest way to protect the system is turnout. Attached is a simple, nonpartisan flyer with a QR code linking to Colorado's voter registration site. Print it, share it, forward it. We'll also have copies at our September 9 Fall Gathering, the September 14 media literacy panel, and our October social.

Upcoming Events

TOMORROW, 9/8 — Indivisible Colorado Speaker Series with AG Phil Weiser, Candidate for Governor

• 7:00 PM, virtual.

• Election security and priorities if elected. Informational only, not an endorsement. Register here.

  
  

9/9 — RTB Fall Gathering, Sauvage Spectrum

• 5:30-8:00 PM.

• Meet candidates on the Mesa County ballot. Event is at full capacity; join the waitlist here: Details and registration.

9/14 — Who's Telling the Truth? Media Literacy Panel

• 5:00-6:30 PM, Meyer Ballroom, CMU.

• Reporters and researchers on trust in local news. Get tickets.

9/18 — Colorado River District Water Seminar, "The River Ahead"

• 8:30 AM-3:15 PM, CMU.

• What's next for the river. Happy hour follows at 3:35 PM. Register. | Draft agenda.

9/20 — How to Have Difficult Conversations

• 10:30 AM-1:00 PM, Unitarian Universalist Church.

• Braver Angels screening and discussion. Registration required.

On the Radar: Local Government Meetings

• Board of County Commissioners: Tuesdays @ 9 am

• Grand Junction City Council: 1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 5:30 pm

• Town of Palisade Board of Trustees Meeting: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 6 pm

• Fruita City Council: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7pm

• D51 School Board: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 5pm (public comments accepted on 3rd Tuesdays only)

• Mesa County Library Board: Last Thursdays @ 5:30 pm

• Public Health Board: 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 3 pm

Thank you to all who have submitted photos, podcasts, and video recommendations. We will publish a recommendation in each category every week. Please keep them coming!

Want to Contribute to Our Weekly Newsletter?

Our best recommendations come from you! Have you read a thought-provoking book? Listened to an insightful podcast? Found an article worth sharing? Captured a beautiful photo of Western Colorado? We want to feature your discoveries and perspectives in our Monday Update.

You can share resources, suggest topics you'd like RTB to address, or submit photos from around our community. All submissions can be anonymous or attributed to you; it's your choice.

Submit your recommendations here

Let's learn from each other and build a more informed community together.

Don't forget to vote in 2026: Ballots will be mailed on October 2. Vote Early.