Colorado Early Vote Returns From Overseas Already Outnumber Totals From Last Two Election Cycles

Ballot requests and early voting returns among military and other overseas voters from Colorado already surpass 2008 and 2010 turnout numbers, the secretary of state’s office announced on October 29.

To date, 19,055 military and overseas Colorado voters have already requested ballots, exceeding the 2008 presidential election totals by 2,804 ballots. Of the 19,055 ballots requested this year, 8,320 have been returned thus far from Colorado voters around the world. This is already 80 percent greater than the total number of ballots submitted from oversees voters in the 2010 election cycle.

Thousands more ballots are still expected to come in. Secretary of State Scott Gessler said it was “great to see such a big jump” in voter participation from Coloradans serving active military duty and other overseas residents.

“This year Gessler’s office launched a statewide initiative to electronically deliver ballots to military and overseas voters,” a press release noted. “Following a successful pilot in 2010, Gessler implemented the system statewide to provide every overseas voter with the opportunity to receive ballots the next day anywhere in the world. These voters can then securely mark and print their ballots before signing and returning them.”

Local El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams said, “As home to four major military bases, we’re deeply committed to ensuring that every man and woman serving our nation has the opportunity to vote.” He continued by pointing out, “The combination of electronic ballot delivery and these Ballot-on Demand printers improve the convenience and accessibility for all of Colorado’s military and overseas voters.”

“El Paso County continues to be a leader nationwide in supporting an all-of-the-above strategy to engage our voters overseas,” Williams concluded.

Overall, Colorado Peak Politics reports that as of Monday, October 29, official election data still show Republicans with a 2.5 percent lead over Democrats in early voting. A current tally follows.

R – 309,221 (38.5%)
D – 289,733 (36.0%)
U – 197,308 (24.5%)

Also, according to the latest polling, Colorado’s Independent voters continue to lean in favor of Mitt Romney. An in-depth October poll shows the Republican presidential ticket ahead, with a strong 9 point lead in the state among early voters.

“The latest Purple Poll — a bipartisan firm — has Romney winning Unaffiliated/Independent voters in Colorado who have already returned their ballot 48/39.”

All Colorado residents voting from overseas must vote their ballots by election day, November 6. These voters have an additional eight days for their ballots to be received, allowing time for international mail travel.