Early voters turnout higher than last midterm elections, more Republicans casting vote early
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo., (KRDO) -- With less than two weeks until the election, El Paso County says it is seeing big numbers in ballot box returns.
In just the last 3 days since the boxes opened more than 48,000 people have already made their voices heard.
Many of those voters are seniors.
The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's office says it is pleased to see early voting numbers.
They are higher than during the midterm elections four years ago but totals are expected to be similar to what we saw in 2018.
The major difference so far this year is the type of voters.
So far early voters consist of men and women in their early 60s and 70s, according to El Paso County Clerk and Recorder, Chuck Broerman.
"They tend to be more pocketbook issue type of voters, they are retired or enjoying the years of their hard work and labor," said Broerman.
But it's also a year where at least 38 percent of the ballots returned are from republicans.
That is a big change from the midterm election in 2018.
"In 2018 you saw a lot more democrats get out early and vote, you are not seeing that you are seeing more republicans getting out there and casting their vote, a little different than 2018," added Broerman.
The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder believes that this is because, during mid-term elections, turnout tends to be higher from voters in the party opposite the current president.
But a higher early voter turnout this year doesn't mean that when all is said and done on election day, the overall turnout will come out higher.
"We still have another 80 percent that is coming back, we think somewhere around 270,000 ballots will be cast this election," said Broerman.
Though there's been a 13. 5 percent increase in registered voters since the last midterm election. Officials are still expecting nearly the same number of voters this time around.
The last day to send your ballot by the united states postal service is on October 31.
You can vote at dozens of drop-boxes and in person across the county until polls close on election day November 8th.
