Voter turnout set record for off years

Hector Gutierrez, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 29, 2005 at midnight

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Colorado voters this month set a record for turnout during an off-year election, the Secretary of State's office announced Monday.

Preliminary tallies had shown that 46 percent of Colorado's 2.3 million eligible voters turned out at the polls on Nov. 1. However, Secretary of State Gigi Dennis said Monday that just under half of the eligible voters, or 49.8 percent, showed up to exercise their rights on key state and local ballot questions.

The previous record for an off- year election was in 2003 when 47.2 percent of Colorado's eligible voters cast ballots.

Last Wednesday, Dennis' office compiled and counted the total returns from all Colorado counties. Friday would have been the last day for the state secretary to count the returns.

The state's biggest election turnout occurred during the 2004 presidential election when 88 percent of the voters went to the polls, according to Dennis.

"I am pleased to see the voter turnout trend during odd-year elections is increasing," Dennis said in a statement. "This is a record for Colorado. I hope this is a signal that Coloradans are getting more used to odd-year elections and taking the opportunity to make their voice heard."

Analysts have attributed this month's huge voter turnout to the highly contentious referendums C and D. Colorado voters passed Referendum C, which will suspend state spending limits for five years and permit lawmakers to spend about $3.7 billion that would have been refunded to taxpayers. Voters, however, turned down Referendum D, which would have allowed the government to borrow up to $2.1 billion against that money to immediately begin school and road construction.

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