Steamboat Pilot & Today

Election 2011

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Steamboat Springs — If you’re a registered voter in Routt County and you haven’t received your ballot in the mail, it might be time to call the Routt County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

Local election officials said Thursday that most of the 11,493 ballots sent out to active Routt County voters earlier this week now should be in their mailboxes. Voters who haven’t received a ballot are asked to call the Clerk and Recorder’s Office this week to verify their voter status and check on the status of their ballot.

Routt County Elections Deputy Kim Bonner said the Clerk and Recorder’s Office already had received completed ballots from about 50 residents by Thursday afternoon, and she expects an increasing number of them to start coming in this week.

Bonner said officials can begin scanning the completed ballots as early as Monday, but the results of those scans will not be known by anyone until Election Day. In the meantime, her office each day is starting to see more voters in person who want to make sure they are able to cast a vote.

“A lot of people are also starting to come into our office to change their address or to make sure they get a ballot,” Bonner said. “We’re seeing about an average of 10 a day who are coming to change their (voter) status.”

Voters are encouraged to call the election office at 970-870-5558 if they have not received their ballots by Oct. 18, or if they have questions about the voting process.

The Clerk and Recorder’s Office will stay open later to accommodate voters beginning Oct. 24. Nov. 1 is Election Day in Colorado, which is different from the Nov. 8 Election Day in most other states across the country this year.

Routt County Clerk and Recorder Kay Weinland said her office will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31 and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. The office typically closes at 4:30 p.m.

Voters also have the option to vote electronically on a single voting machine at the Clerk and Recorder’s Office from now until Election Day, but they must surrender the ballot they received in the mail to do so.

Weinland said the mailing of ballots so far has been running smoothly.

She said that this year, a single 44-cent stamp is all that is needed to return a completed ballot by U.S. mail.

“And I’d like to remind voters they must sign the (the underside) of their envelopes,” she said.

She said every signature on an envelope is verified to prevent voter fraud.

Remote collection locations

Voters who live outside of Steamboat Springs can drop off their completed ballots at collection locations that include the Clark Store in North Routt and the town halls in Hayden, Oak Creek and Yampa.

Weinland said voters can drop off their ballots at these sites until 3 p.m. Oct. 28. After that deadline, ballots must be dropped off at the Clerk and Recorder’s Office in the Routt County Courthouse before 7 p.m. on Election Day.

All ballots sent by mail must be received at the office before that deadline.

To reach Scott Franz, call 970-871-4210

or email ScottFranz@SteamboatToday.com