COLORADO SPRINGS — There are lots of opinion differences when it comes to who to cast your vote for this election. But when it comes to how they are getting out the last-minute vote, the two major parties are more similar than you might think.
What is it like inside a major party’s headquarters on the eve of an election?
“Busy, full of anxiety,” said EL Paso County Democratic Party chair Electra Johnson.
“I think there’s a lot of excitement. People are anxious,” said El Paso County Republican Party chair Vickie Tonkins.
In El Paso County, volunteers and officials for both major parties are following a similar game plan.
“Today, we are doing the final push for those who have not voted,” Tonkins said.
“The secretary of state’s office and the county clerk’s office, every day they download the list of who’s voted, and we upload that list of who has not voted and we contact those people,” Johnson said.
It means a lot of reaching out.
“We’re making phone calls, we’re doing text messages. We’re knocking on doors still,” Tonkins said.
This year in particular, it means a lot of typing.
“So text messaging--and I’m sure, if you have a phone, you’ve probably gotten at least one voter text message,” Johnson said.
For every outgoing call, it also seems like there’s one incoming.
“I think the majority of our questions this year have been about, is it safe? And how do we know our ballot’s been counted,” Johnson said.
“Some people have called and said they haven’t gotten their ballots yet,” Tonkins said. “Some people are out of town. So trying to get them to the right people, because a lot of people think that we’re the ones that collect the ballots. And of course, that’s the clerk and recorder’s office.”
On this election eve, both parties giving it their all, of course with different hopes in mind.
“But… focused. We’re ready to turn Colorado blue and El Paso County,” Johnson said.
“We’re hoping high, we’re working hard, and we’re playing to see the results,” Tonkins said.
Both Tonkins and Johnson said on election day, do not put your ballot in the mail. It is too late at that point for it to be received in time. Instead, come by a ballot drop box before the polls close.
If you need help getting to the polls, both parties recommend reaching out to them for assistance. Also, both Uber and Lyft are offering election day discounts to get you to cast your vote.
