Log In


Reset Password
News Education Local News Nation & World New Mexico

Gunnison votes may swing 59th District

Republicans still outpacing Democrats in early voting

In La Plata and Gunnison counties, two areas that will help determine the winner in the Mike McLachlan-J. Paul Brown race for the 59th District House seat, Democrats are doing a better job getting out their party faithful than their counterparts across the state.

In La Plata County, 3,651 registered Democrats out of approximately 10,215 ballots sent out had returned their ballots as of Tuesday night, a return rate of almost 36 percent. About 3,917 Republicans of the 10,410 ballots mailed had returned theirs, a return rate of almost 38 percent.

Unaffiliated voters, the biggest pool of voters in the state, are proving midterm election pundits right by casting ballots at a far lower rate than the party-affiliated. In La Plata County, 2,456 unaffiliated voters, out of 11,632 registered, had returned ballots, a return rate of only 21 percent.

In Gunnison County, Democrats had returned 1,009 ballots, Republicans had returned 1,057 ballots and unaffiliated voters had returned 894 ballots.

Statewide, 84,602 more Republicans than Democrats had gotten their ballots in by Tuesday night, 379,250 to 294,648. A total of 905,500 Colorado voters had cast their ballots, a return rate of about 25 percent of the approximately 3.6 million registered voters in the state.

Who has voted is less important than how they voted, which will be revealed on Nov. 4. Campaigns are unrolling final phone and door-to-door canvassing plans to try to get their voters to cast their ballots by 7 p.m. Tuesday.

La Plata County Clerk and Recorder Tiffany Parker recommends that starting today, county voters should drop off their ballots rather than mailing them to ensure timely delivery. There are 24-hour drop-off boxes at her offices at 98 Everett St. in Bodo Industrial Park and the Bayfield Town Hall.

abutler@durangoherald.com

Where & when to vote (PDF)

Oct 28, 2014
GOP turning out in numbers statewide
Oct 24, 2014
Updated ballot tallies released
Oct 23, 2014
Mail-in ballot tallying begins


Reader Comments