It’s time to vote! This year, the Nov. 1 general election will be conducted by a mail-in ballot only. Ballots will be mailed Oct. 11 to every registered voter with a mailing address on file. If you’re thinking voting is here early this year, you are correct, but it’s not too late to register to vote.Voters can still register for this election through Monday, Oct. 3. There are three different registration options.
- Online at http://GoVoteColorado.com; a Colorado driver’s license or an ID card issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue is required for online registration
- In person at any of the Clerk and Recorder offices in Colorado Springs. Note that the Election Department has moved to 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road, second floor, Suite 2200.
- Download a Colorado Voter Registration form from http://car.elpasoco.com/Election/Pages/Registertovote.aspx. You can fax, mail or scan and e-mail the completed form.
Colorado residents currently in the military and other overseas voters are already able to cast their ballot online from now through 7 p.m. MST on Nov. 1.Not sure if you are registered or have a current address on file? Visit the El Paso County Web site noted above to check on or update your registration status.Every vote counts! Many an election has been won by a narrow margin. In the Minnesota House of Representatives election in 2010, Republican King Banaian edged out Democratic-Farmer Labor Party opponent Carol Lewis by 10 votes on the first count and 13 after a recount. In the 1884 U.S. presidential election, Grover Cleveland beat out James Blaine by a mere 1,149 votes. In the 2000 U.S. Senate election, Democrat Maria Cantwell beat out Republican Slade Gorton by 2,229 votes after a mandatory recount. The election of 2000 also saw George W. Bush beat Al Gore with much controversy over the swing state of Florida’s count and recount.According to the United States Election Project (http://elections.gmu.edu), in the 2010 general election, 37.8 percent of eligible voters in the U.S. cast a ballot. In Colorado, the number was 45.9 percent. We don’t know if the Gallup Poll’s stringent statistical analyses would say these numbers are an accurate representation of the population as a whole.In this election of 2011, our community must make some important decisions. Do we provide more funding for schools and approve a D49 mill levy? Do we support Proposition 103, which restores state income, corporate and sales taxes to 1999 levels in order to offset expected education cuts? Do we support a mill levy so that our firefighters can aptly continue to respond to emergencies? Who will sit on the school board?Would you like to make these decisions for yourself – or will you let your neighbor vote for you?It couldn’t be easier to cast your ballot this year.We’ll see you in November! Have a safe Halloween.
– Deb, Michelle and the NFH team
