Red, white and blue “I voted” stickers circled Lon Erwin’s hat. Erwin, a ballot drop-off volunteer at the La Plata County Courthouse, located at 1060 East Second Ave., stood with Ted La May, also a volunteer, answering voter’s questions as they dropped off their ballots.
“It’s steady, steady, steady,” said Erwin. La May added that turnout was “outstanding,” with about 500 voters dropping ballots off Monday, and 300 or so dropping them off on Election Day.
According to the National Conference of State Legislature, Colorado is one of three states – the others are Washington and Oregon – to rely on mail-in voting procedures. This is the first year this has been done in Colorado.
For Susan Kolb, a resident of Hesperus, voting yes on proposition 105, which requires GMO labeling, was a key factor in this election.
“I can’t complain about things unless I vote,” Kolb said. She went on to say she would have sent her ballot in sooner, but traveling and not receiving it in the mail had prolonged the endeavor.
Ballots were placed in the mail during the week of Oct. 14, according to the La Plata County Clerk & Recorder’s website. To date, 17,180 ballots have been returned in the county so far.
Rowan Hill of Durango felt it was his “civic duty” to vote today, although he would have voted sooner if he had been in town when his ballot first arrived.
John Purser, a La Plata County resident, has been out of town, but said he would wait to vote until today regardless.
“Some things may come up last-minute,” Purser said.
Durango resident Emily White said she was turning in her ballot today to make sure it got in on time.
Marija Helt, also a Durango resident, said she realized her ballot was due today, as she does everything last-minute.
“I want to get politicians (in office) who slightly resemble my views,” Helt said. Women’s reproductive rights were a main reason for her getting out and voting today, she said.
“I feel like it’s a really important election,” said Durango resident Dave Rich. He credited the importance of the election to the major differences in the candidates.
eseverson@durangoherald.com
Where to vote, drop off ballots
It’s not too late to register to vote or to cast your ballot, but it is too late to mail ballots. Here’s locations open Election Day for procrastinators:
In Durango, you can register to vote and cast your ballot at either the La Plata County Clerk & Recorder’s office, which is at 98 Everett St. Suite C, in Bodo Industrial Park, or to the La Plata County Fairgrounds, at 2500 Main Ave.; in Bayfield, you can go to the Bayfield Town Hall, at 1199 Bayfield Parkway.
Or you can cast your filled-out ballot at one of two drop-off locations; in Ignacio, you can go to Ignacio Town Hall, at 540 Goddard Ave., and in Durango, you can go to La Plata County Courthouse, 1060 East Second Ave.
The Bayfield Town Hall drop box and La Plata County Clerk & Recorder drop box are open 24 hours, so if you’re facing an early-morning shift and a hectic day at work, go there and drop off your filled-out ballot.
