With Election Day just three days away, the Montezuma County Clerks office is preparing for a large number of voters, though that number will be diminished greatly by residents who have already voted.
County Clerk Carol Tullis said as of Thursday afternoon about 1,200 residents had voted early at the County Annex, which she said is close to normal. Early voting ended on Friday.
Mail-in ballots or absentee ballots, she said, has become one of the popular ways to vote. As of Thursday afternoon 4,700 of the 7,400 ballots that were sent out by mail have been returned. In 2008, 6,700 mail-in ballots were sent out.
Tullis said there seems to be a lot more interest in this years election than the last presidential election, and pointed to the hotly contested presidential race, the bond questions for the three county school districts, and Amendment 64 where voters will decide whether marijuana should be legalized in the state.
Tullis said she is not sure how many people will be going to the polls on Tuesday, even with the number of mail-in ballots increasing.
She also said she is expecting the clerks office to be busy all day on Tuesday with residents asking questions, including what precinct they need to go to in order to cast their ballot.
We have been very, very swamped, she said. We have just been so swamped with voters. Its amazing. On Election Day, Nov. 6, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations:
Precinct 1 : Pleasant View Fire Station, 15529 Road CC, Pleasant View
Precinct 2: Dolores Community Center, 400 Riverside Ave.
Precinct 3: Lewis-Arriola Fire Station, 22145 Road S
Precinct 4: Empire Electric Calvin Denton Room, 801 N. Broadway, Cortez
Precinct 5: Montezuma County Fairgrounds, 30100 Highway 160
Precinct 6: Towaoc Community Center
Precinct 7: First Assembly of God Church, 120 S. Linden, Cortez
Precinct 8: Montezuma County Annex, 107 N. Chestnut, Cortez
Precinct 9: Montezuma Valley Presbyterian Church, 350 S. Washington, Cortez
Precinct 10:Lifeway Baptist Church, 601 N. Dolores Road, Cortez
Precinct 11: Mancos Town Assembly Hall, 117 N. Main