Colorado voter turnout on Election Day
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Tuesday morning, ballot dropboxes across Colorado Springs were busy with voters. Mid-day, the Secretary of State's Office announced more than 1.8 million Coloradans had cast their vote.
In El Paso County, the Clerk and Recorder's Office told KRDO they hit the 219,000 mark before 4 p.m.
Frank Kaiser putting walking up to drop off his ballot.
"Sort of a way to make it more personal to me," said Kaiser.
Kaiser, like many voters in Colorado, is focused on the importance of this midterm election.
"Just got so many things going on in the country, in the world, and if you want to improve it this is your opportunity," said Kaiser.
"I’m new to Colorado springs, so I’m happy to vote here. I saw a lot of people on the ballot that I actually liked and their campaign and everything, so I’m just excited to vote," said Whiney Mclin, a Colorado Springs voter.
But, according to the El Paso County Clerk and Recorders Office, returns on ballots before election day is down this year.
Chuck Broerman, the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder, said there were about 150,000 ballots returned by Monday morning. That's about the number of ballots that are turned in in El Paso County three to four days out.
"I expect it will be an extremely heavy day. I hope people will avail themselves of that mail-in ballot we mailed them nearly 20 days ago that’s probably sitting on their kitchen counter, so please find that ballot, find out where it is, and get it here today," said Broerman.
Broerman believes part of the lag in returns is because the ballots include more items than it has in the last 34 years. Voters we spoke to say it did take them extra time to get through the ballot.
"I did a lot of research. My wife and I did," said Craig Coupland, a Colorado Springs resident.
"I spent some time looking at it all trying to discern the right decision, doing some research," said Kaiser.
The El Paso County Clerk and Recorders office is expecting 270,000 people to vote in this midterm election. Typically, about 60 percent of registered voters cast their ballots in a midterm.
All voting locations and boxes are open until 7 p.m. Tuesday. People can vote in person in El Paso County at 37 locations and drop ballots off at 39 drop boxes. If you're in line before 7 p.m., your vote will county.
For ballot drop boxes and VSPC locations in El Paso County, click here.
