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Early voting eases pressures on Election Day
Boulder County voters turned out in record numbers to vote early this year, likely the cause of a smoother Election Day


Most Boulder County polls didn’t live up to their notorious standards of long lines, unprepared voters and general confusion this Election Day. The option to vote early in Colorado this year may have accounted for a generally smooth Election Day this year.

An estimated 27,000 Boulder County residents voted early this election, accounting for almost 15 percent of total votes.

Five locations, including the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s Office and the University of Colorado’s Recreation Center, were open for early voting from October 20 to October 31, with the exception of Sunday.

The County Clerk’s Office, which recorded the highest number of early voters, saw about 7,400 voters. The CU Rec Center had the longest lines for early voting and saw about 7,000 voters, according to Hillary Hall, Boulder County’s Clerk and Recorder.

One of the primary advantages of early voting, says Hall, is convenience. Early voters may cast ballots at any one of the five polling locations. On Election Day, voters have to find out for themselves which of 170 polling locations they must attend. Particularly for first time voters, she says, it’s one less thing to remember.

Mark Denniston, a political science professor at the University of Colorado, agrees. He says he understands that some schedules make it difficult or impossible to get to the polls on Election Day and the option to vote early increases the odds of getting a voter to the polls.

Early voting also allows increased time to resolve common Election Day issues. The option to vote early lessens the chance of a line on Election Day. Issues like misprints and changes of address can also be more easily resolved with additional time.

One disadvantage of early voting is staffing the locations for an additional 11 days. Staff and volunteers must be recruited and trained much earlier and must serve much longer. However, Debbie Federin, a staff member at Boulder County Democrats, says that early voting allowed volunteers to spend the entire day helping others at the polls on Election Day, without having to leave and cast their own votes.

Early voting also affects candidates’ campaigns. Hall says early voting has “completely changed” the dynamics of campaigning.

“Campaigns are really going to have to look at their strategy of when they get what messages out,” she added. Elena Nunez, program director for Colorado Common Cause, a political nonprofit, agrees. She says early voting means “the finish line is no longer Election Day.”

Indeed, around 50 percent of Boulder County voters cast ballots early, at either polling centers or through mail-in ballots, but both candidates still came to Colorado to rally voters right up to Election Day.

The most noticeable effect of early voting is shorter lines and a smoother election day. Looking around the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s Office on Election Day, which was open for emergency voting and registration help, Hall called the scene “pretty quiet.”

To learn more about Boulder County’s election, visit http://www.bouldercounty.org/clerk/elections/