“We’re seeing pretty good turnout for a primary, and we do anticipate it to be a little bit busier through tomorrow (Tuesday),” said Erin Hutchins, election administrator for the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.
Republicans vote in their presidential primaries on Super Tuesday, but President Donald Trump does not face a challenger that is expected to upset his nomination within the party. That’s why much of the focus has been on the Democratic Party.
Fourteen states and one U.S. territory will hold nominating contests on Super Tuesday to award 1,357 delegates for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Candidates need 1,991 delegates nationwide to win the nomination. In Colorado, Democrats will award 67 delegates in their primary – in proportion to election results, not as a winner-take-all.
As of Monday morning, about 12,100 La Plata County residents had returned ballots out of about 37,900 active voters, Hutchins said. Statewide, voters have returned about 1,074,000 ballots, according to the Colorado secretary of state.
But the Democratic field of candidates is rapidly changing.
Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, with 60 delegates from the four early nominating states – Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Joe Biden, former vice president, is in second place with 53 delegates.
Meanwhile, several Democratic candidates have dropped out of the race since South Carolina’s primary Saturday, including Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana; Tom Steyer, a billionaire from California; and Amy Klobuchar, a U.S. senator from Minnesota.
More than 4,100 La Plata County Democratic voters and 3,300 unaffiliated voters had returned ballots as of Monday, according to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. About 4,400 Republican voters had cast ballots.
Voters who have already cast a ballot for a candidate who has withdrawn are not able to vote again, according to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office.
Voters who have filled out a ballot, but have not returned it, can change their selection by crossing off the name of their first pick and marking the oval next to their preferred candidate. They can also request a new ballot and vote in person at a voter service and polling center.
To vote, La Plata County residents need to return their ballots by 7 p.m. Tuesday. It is too late to mail ballots, but voters can return them at 24-hour ballot drop boxes. Locations include:
County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, 679 Turner Drive, Suite C, in Durango. Bayfield Town Hall, 1199 Bayfield Parkway, in Bayfield.La Plata County Administration Building, 1101 East Second Ave., in Durango.Farmers Fresh Market, 535 Goddard Ave., in Ignacio.Fort Lewis Community Concert Hall, 1000 Rim Drive, in Durango.Voters can track their ballots at laplatavotes.com. They can check the tracker for rejection notices because of a missing signature or other reasons, Hutchins said.
smullane@durangoherald.com