Zack Newman

Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter to get the latest. Election reporting gets complicated fast. A breaking story can suddenly require a working knowledge of an obscure state law, a county’s ballot-handling procedures or a voting system you’ve never encountered before — and the person who knows the answer may not be someone you already know how to reach.

Four boys burst from their moms’ vehicles and ran across the gravel parking lot of the farm to greet each other and start playing. Toys lay on the grass near riding rings and horse stables. Chickens and cats meandered along the property, inspecting the visitors and basking in the sun. Taneal Behm, owner and occupational therapist at Iron Horse Therapeutic Farm—located just outside of Timnath, southeast of Fort Collins—welcomed the kids and their families warmly.

DENVER — Jesse Ramsey had two children, a lucrative career as a welder and a job teaching welding at Lincoln College of Technology. He felt successful. In 2019, Ramsey developed severe stomach aches. Bouts of nausea, cramps and digestive issues had him calling out of work — a rarity for Ramsey, who touts a strong work ethic — first monthly, then weekly, then almost every day. He started seeing specialists in 2019.