Matt Crane, candidate for Arapahoe County clerk and recorder

(Incumbent)

Party: Republican

City or town of residence: Littleton

Profession: Arapahoe County clerk and recorder

Campaign Website: mattcraneforclerk.com

Why are you seeking this office?

I am honored to have served as your clerk and recorder since 2013. I am passionate about my responsibility to administer secure, accessible and accurate elections and protect our right to vote. I've been honored to lead statewide innovations and usher in technology to better serve residents, and look forward to building upon our successful record. As a 37-year resident and 11-year employee of Arapahoe County, I remain dedicated to our mission of Service First.

What makes you the best choice for clerk and recorder?

I am the only candidate in this race with experience in management and public administration at city, county and state levels, including planning and overseeing elections, managing budgets, projects and people, and collaborating with legislators and state officials. As clerk, I have led numerous initiatives and committees to make government more efficient and effective. I have built my career in elections and public administration, and hope to continue to use these skills to serve citizens.

What are the most important traits or skills for a clerk and recorder to possess?

The clerk and recorder should be qualified to lead an organization of 130 employees in five locations. The holder of this elected office is not a political figurehead, but rather a working executive who must understand how to administer and plan elections for more than 360,000 voters, oversee major strategic projects in three divisions, and implement new reforms and systems alongside the Legislature and state. The clerk must be poised, professional, collaborative, nonpartisan and strategic.

What must an effective clerk and recorder accomplish?

As chief election official for Arapahoe County, the clerk must seek new processes and technologies to make elections more accessible, trusted and secure. Under my leadership, we have adopted a new, more secure voting system, introduced 21 new 24-hour ballot boxes, added voting locations, and launched a best-in-kind elections website. We also led the state in conducting a risk-limiting audit, which is now a national best practice to verify the accuracy of your vote.

What will your top priority be if elected?

Along with running secure elections, I will continue delivering time-saving solutions, so you can enjoy what's important to you. In 2017, I led efforts to bring self-service kiosks for license plate renewals to Colorado. It is my goal to expand the services on these machines to driver's license renewals, tab replacements and more. I will also continue a statewide leadership role to ensure Colorado's new motor vehicle system works efficiently for our staff and citizens.