Adam Rayes
Reporter, Rural and Small CommunitiesEmail: adam.rayes@kunc.org
As KUNC鈥檚 rural and small communities reporter, I help further the newsroom鈥檚 efforts to ensure that all of Northern Colorado鈥檚 communities are heard. These communities have so much to tell us about themselves and Colorado as a whole. They鈥檙e all unique and simultaneously a crucial part of a bigger picture. Many of these communities exist in a news desert; their stories aren鈥檛 being told and they鈥檙e disconnected from each other and the rest of the region. I hope to bring more stories and voices from these places to elevate the conversation.
Before coming to KUNC, I worked at Michigan Radio where I was a production assistant for the statewide newsmagazine, Stateside. I graduated after just three years at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which is where I fell in love with journalism.
I love cooking my dad鈥檚 traditional Syrian recipes, even though my attempts are never up to his standards. I enjoy gaming, running, tasting new beers, watching anything Sam Esmail makes and I hope to gain new hobbies here in Colorado, like skiing.
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The Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park will remain closed this weekend, with no expected reopening date in the near future. With warm and dry weather in the forecast, there is still potential for new fires to start and existing ones to grow. The Cameron Peak, Cal-Wood and East Troublesome fires are still burning under the snow, and officials have recorded new smoke and visible flames from within the existing fire perimeters. -
After weeks of covering the state's election system and asking numerous local election officials questions like "how can voters ensure their signature isn鈥檛 rejected?" 鈥� KUNC reporter Adam Rayes' ballot was rejected recently due to a signature verification issue. Here's how he fixed it. -
Colorado, the U.S. Postal Service and county elections departments offer support services to ensure people can easily cast their ballot in tumultuous emergency situations. And officials say there's no need to stress about it 鈥� there鈥檚 still plenty of time. -
By the time the Supreme Court allowed the Census Bureau to stop counting on Oct. 15, 99.9% of the Southern Colorado Area Census Office's caseload was reportedly completed. Just a few weeks earlier, one census door knocker who spoke with KUNC was concerned about how well his fellow Southern Coloradans would be counted. -
Firefighters are crediting the cold front that moved into Boulder County on Thursday in helping them get the Cal-Wood Fire under better control. The fire is now considered 55% contained. The Lefthand Canyon Fire is considered 100% contained. Firefighters are expected to patrol the fire lines today and make improvements as necessary. -
As the election nears and misinformation about voter fraud continues to spread, KUNC is going behind the scenes to learn more about a ballot鈥檚 journey from the day it gets printed to the day it gets counted. Signature verification is a crucial protection against fraud in an all-mail ballot system. Here鈥檚 how Colorado鈥檚 election officials are able to do it and what voters need to know about the (small) possibility of their ballots being rejected. -
As voting misinformation mounts, Colorado is preparing to start automatically sending registered voters their ballots by mail this weekend. Residents can mail back their ballots, put them in dropboxes or they can vote in person at vote centers up to and on Election Day. But they all get counted the same. Here is a behind the scenes look at how Colorado keeps its elections fair, accurate and secure. -
County clerks and their election teams are responsible for making sure ballots get counted in November. Clerks across Northern Colorado say they鈥檙e ready as the election nears and concerns about mailed ballots and misinformation get louder. -
There's a lot of misinformation surrounding the November 2020 election. Here are the facts about important dates and logistics of voting in Colorado. -
The deadline for the census count was supposed to be Sept. 30, but a lawsuit may change that. Meanwhile, concerns from public officials, government watchdogs and researchers remain about how accurate this count will be. The count directs billions of federal dollars and determines how representation is apportioned. But it also matters a lot to businesses, nonprofits, local governments and researchers.
