Republican, Democratic parties in Pueblo County make final campaign push

Nearly 50 percent of voters in Pueblo County have already turned in their ballots.

Volunteers and candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties were making calls and knocking on doors this weekend, reminding voters their ballots need to be turned in before 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“Lots of phone calls. A lot of people getting those phone calls tell us that they’re done, but get your ballot in and we’ll stop calling,” said Jerry Carter, coordinated campaign director for the Pueblo County Democratic Party.

With the first statewide mail-in ballot election underway, Republicans and Democrats can obtain a list of who’s already voted and focus their efforts on those who haven’t.

Pueblo County Republican Chair Becky Mizel said when volunteers call registered voters, they’re asking, “We see you haven’t voted yet. Are you planning on voting or do you need help?

As of Saturday night, 47 percent of the 89,737 ballots sent out had been turned in to polling centers across the county. Half of registered Democrats have returned their ballots compared to 59 percent of Republicans. Nearly one third of unaffiliated voters have also returned their ballots.

Although more Republicans have voted percentage-wise than Democrats, more Democrats have voted than Republicans. According to numbers provided by the Pueblo County Clerk & recorder’s office, 20,160 of Democrats have voted in Pueblo County; 13,411 of Republicans have turned in their ballots.

Republicans hope the momentum built during last year’s recall of Democratic state Sen. Angela Giron will push more unaffiliated voters their way. Mizel said the Republican Party hopes to collect at least half of the unaffiliated votes.

“We really feel that our unaffiliated friends will be going with us. And so we’re hoping that the unaffiliated will get out and vote,” Mizel said.

But this election Democrats say they’re not looking back at last year’s loss during the recall.

“The recall happened and the results happened,” Carter said. “We have moved on just in the interest of getting our candidates elected this year.”