Thousands of early voters cast ballots

Turnout heavy in state; Adams Co. clerk sees 'a lot of enthusiasm'

By Myung Oak Kim, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published October 20, 2008 at 6:09 p.m.

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Photo by Javier Manzano / The Rocky

Citizens cast their ballots at voting booths in the Wellington Webb building downtown on Monday, the first day of early voting.

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The kickoff of early voting across Colorado on Monday proved popular as thousands of people turned out to cast their ballots and avoid long lines on Nov. 4.

About 400 voters showed up during the first three hours of voting in Arapahoe County. That's about the same turnout as during the entire five days of early voting in the August primary in that county, said Clerk and Recorder Nancy Doty.

As of 3:30 p.m., Douglas County had a total of 944 early voters at its 11 sites.

In Denver, about 140 people cast ballots in the first hour at elections headquarters, 3888 E. Mexico Ave.

James Santos was one of the first voters there. Santos said it took him 10 to 15 minutes to fill out the two-page ballot. "This really went smooth," Santos said. "No lines."

Polling places in Adams County also were busy.

"That tells me there's a lot of enthusiasm to do early voting," said Clerk and Recorder Karen Long.

It hasn't always been that way.

Participation in early voting has dropped significantly in recent years, while mail voting has jumped in popularity.

During the last presidential election, 419,212 people cast ballots in early voting. In November 2006, fewer than 235,000 people voted this way.

Early voting during primary elections has been especially low. In the August primary, only 18,690 people statewide cast early ballots.

Denver Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley said she's expecting large crowds for early voting because of the high interest in this election.

That's one reason why she announced Monday that her office will offer Sunday voting at the two most popular polling places - the Wellington Webb building at 201 W. Colfax Ave. and the main office at 3888 E. Mexico Ave., near Interstate 25. Both sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jenny Flanagan, executive director of Colorado Common Cause, said this election will test the state's voting systems and capacity.

"We're going to see huge turnout in mail voting, during early voting and on Election Day," she said.

Staff writer Alan Gathright contributed to this report.

Ballot Builder can help

Need some help with making your choices in the 2008 general election?

Let the Rocky's Ballot Builder give you a hand.

The newspaper's private online voter's aid can help you find which candidates align with your views - and can give you more insight and information about where they stand. By completing a confidential profile and answering several questions, Ballot Builder will show you the races you'll find on your official ballot and will compare your views with those provided by candidates in their questionnaires, from the presidential race down to local races.

* Ballot Builder is available at RockyMountainNews.com/ballotbuilder

Frequently asked questions about early and mail voting

What is early voting?

It's a way to vote at the polls before Election Day. By state law, early voting is conducted for one week before primary elections and for two weeks before general elections.

When did early voting start?

Monday morning. Hours vary by county. Some sites open at 7 a.m. and some open as late as 11 a.m., so check with your county clerk for more information.

When does early voting end?

Oct. 31. Election officials recommend you do not wait until then because they expect a last-minute rush.

Do I go to my neighborhood polling place?

No. By state law early voters may go to any polling site in their county. This is called a "vote center" model. To find the locations, contact your county clerk's office.

Are there the same number of early voting sites as on Election Day?

No. Counties open fewer locations. Small counties typically do early voting at the clerk's office. Larger counties will offer up to a dozen or so sites.

Will I cast a paper ballot?

In Denver you will vote on paper. But most other counties use electronic terminals.

May I vote on the weekend?

Yes, several large counties are offering early voting on Saturday. Early voting in Denver also will be offered on Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Denver Elections Division, 3888 E. Mexico Ave., and the Webb Municipal Office Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave.

* Voting by mail

Is it too late to get a mail ballot?

No. As long as you are registered to vote, you can obtain a mail ballot application from the Colorado secretary of state's office or your county clerk's office. A mail ballot will be sent to your home if the application is received by Oct. 28. If you want to pick one up in person, you may do so until Oct. 31.

I requested a mail ballot but haven't received it. What should I do?

Check your voter file at govotecolorado .com by clicking on "verify your voter registration information" or call 303-894-2200. Both methods will tell you if you're listed as a mail voter and when the ballot was sent out. Remember that mail ballots are sent out by county clerks in the order in which they were requested. So if you just applied for a mail ballot last week, it probably has not been mailed out yet.

May I drop off my mail ballot at the early voting sites?

In many cases, you may do this. Check with your county clerk's office.

I requested a mail ballot but I changed my mind and I want to vote at the polls. Can I do that?

Yes. You can hand in your mail ballot at your county clerk's office and then cast a regular ballot during early voting or on Election Day. Or you can cast a provisional ballot at early voting sites. Provisional ballots require additional ID to be accepted and won't be added to the final count until after Election Day.

More information

Go to govotecolorado.com, call 303-894-2200 or call your county clerk.

County Web site Phone * Adams County adamscountyelections.org 303-920-7850

* Arapahoe County arapahoevotes.com 303-795-4511

* Boulder County voteboulder.org 303-413-7740

* Denver County denvervotes.org 720-913-8683

* Douglas County douglasvotes.com 303-660-7444

* Jefferson County votejeffco.com 303-271-8111

* El Paso County car.elpasoco.com 719-520-6226

* Larimer County larimer.org/elections 970-498-7820

Registered voter totals

* Here are Colorado's latest figures for the Nov. 4 election. The state is now almost equally divided among Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters.

Total voters 3,201,518

Unaffiliated 1,069,634 33.4%

Republicans 1,062,773 33.2%

Democrats 1,049,912 32.8%

Other parties 19,199 0.6%

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