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Colorado surpasses 2016 voter turnout

Posted at 1:01 PM, Nov 03, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-03 20:25:16-05

DENVER, Colo. — Secretary of State Jena Griswold said 79.5% of active registered voters have turned in their ballot, surpassing 2016 voter turnout. As of 4 p.m. on Election Day, 3,104,807 Coloradans have cast a ballot.

In 2016, Colorado saw a turnout of 74.39%.

In the 10 a.m. update, the breakdown of voters included 930,452 registered Democrats, 833,215 registered Republicans and 1,088,369 unaffiliated voters.

Jefferson County has been leading the pack on high voter turnout, according to Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder George Stern. He said 79% of active registered voter turned in their ballots by end of the day Monday. In 2016, they saw 70% voter turnout.

According to Denver Elections Division, they've seen a turnout of 75.7% as of 12 p.m. on Election Day with 349,129 ballots cast so far.

"Voting is our way of shaping the future and deciding who will lead our local, state and on the national levels. Voting is our voice,”Griswold said.

Both Griswold and Stern encouraged anyone who hasn't voted to drop off ballots in one of the 380 drop boxes across the state or vote in-person at one of the 340 voting centers available. Coloradans can register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day at a voting center. Whether using a drop box or voting in-person, it must be done by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

To find a drop box and/or voting center, click here.

Griswold said Colorado is safest place to vote because most Coloradans vote by mail with paper ballots. Voters who show up in-person and use voting equipment can rest assured that it's not connected to the internet.

There haven't been many incidents of reported voter intimidation in the state, though Griswold said they did refer an incident to the Attorney General Monday. Police responded to a drop box location for a report of two men dressed in military attire, one man with open carry, filming voters. The two men left, but the investigation into potential voter intimidation is ongoing.

COVID-19 has impacted Colorado in many ways, but in terms of elections, Griswold said it's mostly the same. They have extra precautions in place to ensure safety at voting centers. Rules mandate that all election workers follow public health guidelines, wear masks, social distance and sanitize equipment.


Denver7 will have a running live blog of election and voting updates throughout the day Tuesday as voting continues in Colorado and through the General Election after polls close at 7 p.m. and races are decided across the state and country.

We will also have continuous updates throughout the day Tuesday, Wednesday and as races nationwide continue to be tabulated throughout the week on social media and our streaming apps on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Android TV. You can also watch 24/7 Denver7 news coverage in the player below or by clicking here.

More election information: Denver7 Election Guide and Resources | Election 2020 coverage | How you can still vote in Colorado Tuesday | General Election Results (Starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday) | How the AP calls races | What to look for in early results