Only 9.5% of registered voters had returned ballots as of Thursday in the Durango municipal election, but La Plata County Clerk Tiffany Lee expects that number to grow quickly leading up to the April 1 election.
Five candidates, including two incumbents, are on the ballot for Durango City Council. Voters also have the chance to weigh in on Ballot Question 2A, which asks if they want to reauthorize a 2005 half-cent sales tax for 30 years to fund a new city hall and police station.
Three council seats up for election. Councilor Melissa Youssef finishes her second and final term in April. Councilor Olivier Bosmans and Mayor Jessika Buell, both candidates for reelection, will finish their first four-year terms next month.
In addition to Bosmans and Buell, the other candidates running for City Council are Shirley Gonzales, Kip Koso and Chris Elias.
As of Thursday, 1,344 ballots had been returned – 9.5% of the city’s 14,195 active voters. By comparison, only 1,179 ballots had been returned at the same point in the 2023 election, Lee said in a text message to The Durango Herald.
The comparison of voter participation isn’t apples to apples, she said. The 2023 election featured five council candidates running for two open seats, but no ballot question. Ballot questions – especially tax-related ones – typically generate more voter interest.
“The turnout is as expected so far,” Lee said.
In 2023, 34% of registered Durango voters cast ballots, according to the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. That’s 4,675 ballots cast out of 13,593 ballots distributed.
A mandatory recount was triggered due to a tight race between candidates Dave Woodruff and Harrison Wendt. Woodruff edged out Wendt with a narrow four-vote lead, 2,435 to Wendt’s 2,431.
Ballots were mailed to registered voters on March 10. Lee said the clerk’s office will continue mailing ballots to voters who register or update their addresses by March 24.
Several ballot drop boxes are available from March 10 through April 1, including:
- A drive-thru location at the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder’s Office at 679 Turner Dr., Suite C.
- County Administration Building at 1100 East Second Ave.
- Fort Lewis Community Concert Hall at 1000 Rim Drive.
- A drive-thru location at the La Plata County Fairgrounds at 2500 Main Ave.
- Durango City Hall at 949 East Second Ave., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Ballots were sent on March 10 to registered voters, who have until 7 p.m. April 1 to cast their votes.
cburney@durangoherald.com
