Though many took advantage of early voting opportunities, a great deal of people waited till Election Day to cast their votes.
In fact, thousands cast their ballot in Montezuma County on Nov. 5, and were still voting near 7 p.m., said Election Deputy Diana Smith.
“There’s no way we’re finishing tonight,” Smith said.
Eight judges were helping tabulate results. They will release the first round of results around 7:30 p.m., a second round before 9 p.m. and the final round for today around midnight.
To keep voters safe in a charged political climate, Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin stationed a deputy at the Montezuma County Clerk’s Office.
“Look at how much divisiveness there is. That’s why I have a deputy here,” Nowlin said.
“He will be here into the latter part of November, depending on what happens, so long as it doesn’t get crazy,” Nowlin said.
In this election, there’s a lot at stake in objectively controversial conversations: Things like immigration policy, the second amendment, LGBTQ+ rights, abortion. There’s much “divisiveness.”
Yet, when it comes down to it, “We all want very similar things,” said Dolores Mayor Chris Holkestad.
“We vote for the people and initiatives that we believe in. The things that resonate with us and get us closer to the America we want,” said Holkestad. “The presidential elections get all the attention, but the local ballot issues are also vitally important.”
The ballot this year was 17 inches long.
Locally, people voted on a number of things: A sales tax to bolster the Sheriff’s Office budget, another such tax to help fund the Cortez Fire Protection District as their call numbers rise. The Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1 asked for a greater mill levy to give teacher’s a raise.
“A lot of our institutions and organizations are struggling to meet the demand of expenses and services so they’re asking for tax increases or new taxes,” said Cortez Mayor Rachel Medina.
“It’s important for voters to get out and let their voices be heard and help the future of these organizations.”
As of Nov. 4, the day prior to Election Day, 2,092,035 Coloradans had cast their vote.
Of that, 11,932 were from Montezuma County.
That’s 59% of the 20,253 registered voters in the county, though that number can change by the hour, said Montezuma County Clerk & Recorder Kim Percell.
In another light, on Election Day, 8,321 eligible voters in the county had yet to vote.
Though total turnout wouldn’t be known be known until Tuesday evening, Percell gave a preview of the day’s activity.
“There is a lot of interest (in voting) this year.”
To ensure votes were counted properly, there was Logic & Accuracy testing at the Montezuma County Clerk & Recorder’s Office back in early October.
The test was to make sure machines tabulated the votes properly, a concern some voters have. The machines, however, have never been incorrect, Percell said.
“And nine times out of 10, when we do the logic and accuracy testing, the part that holds us up and the part we have the most difficulty with is the hand tally,” Percell said at the testing back in October.
It’s hard to say how many ballots were sent out because some were replacement ballots sent to Precinct D after the Montezuma-Cortez School District ballot issue failed to appear on those ballots, Percell said. That district runs on both sides of U.S. Highway 160/491 south of Cortez.
To count, “mail ballots must be … in the hands of the Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day,” according to the Montezuma County website.
In-person vote centers are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 5.
Percell said the presidential elections always have the best turnout.
In the 2020 presidential election, 15,631 ballots were returned in Montezuma County, up from 13,189 ballots in 2016.
In fact, nationwide, roughly “two-thirds of the voting-eligible population turned out for the 2020 presidential election – the highest rate for any national election since 1900,” according to the PEW Research Center.
Turnout for this year’s election is expected to reach record numbers, which is great because voting is fundamental to democracy, whether it be for local, state or national elections.
“Voting is vital,” said Mancos Mayor Cindy Simpson. “It's a privilege and a right. What many people forget is that with every right there is an equal or greater responsibility.”
“Voting is our voice, our chance to be heard,” Simpson said.
It’s something every eligible, authorized U.S. citizen ought to do, Nowlin said.
“We’re entrusted with a democratic process in voting and to be able to have a voice. It’s important for each individual to cast their own ballot,” said Mancos Town Marshal Justen Goodall.
The county must send its first report to the state no later than 8 p.m., so preliminary, unofficial results will be available soon after, Percell said.
“Voting is how we can influence and be part of our own future,” Medina said.
So thank you to those who voted, “because it is a very elegant feeling to wake up in the morning and go down to your neighborhood polling place and come away feeling proud of the way you voted,” the infamous political reporter Hunter S. Thompson once wrote.
