It’s unprecedented:
Sec of State Jena Griswold says 300,795 Coloradans have already voted! She says that’s 24 times the number that had cast ballots at this point in 2016. pic.twitter.com/OOInHYLPUC
— Lance Hernandez (@lancehernandez7) October 15, 2020
Much as we have no frame of objective reference with which to compare John Hickenlooper’s game-ending $22 million fundraising haul in the third quarter, there is simply no way to adequately put in perspective the massive and swift rate of return of ballots that just arrived this week in Colorado mail boxes; after all, this is our first experience with voting during a global pandemic. Nevertheless, here’s the breakdown of returned ballots by party affiliation as of yesterday, also showing an historic shift:
In previous Colorado mail ballot elections going back to the first in 2013, the prevalent trend for ballot returns has been Republican voters quickly getting their ballots back to county clerks, with Democrats filling in later and through Election Day. In 2020, this trend is completely reversed, with Democratic ballots flying back to clerks in unprecedented numbers and Republicans a distant third behind unaffiliated voters. It’s been suggested that this may be due to more Republicans choosing in-person voting on Election Day citing President Donald Trump’s baseless conspiracy theorizing about mail ballots. Or, we’re seeing dampened enthusiasm from Republicans in the face of an oncoming Democratic landslide.
Either way, Democrats in Colorado we’ve talked to are in something close to a state of disbelief over what’s happening, and determined to avoid becoming complacent until this election is not just over, but mutually agreed to be over–a point that, the bigger the landslide, the faster we’ll arrive for the good of the whole country.
We can’t predict outcomes everywhere, but we’re looking at an early election night in our state.
Anecdotally, it is amazing how effective Trump's disinformation campaign is with his followers. I spoke to an 80 + year old republican yesterday and mentioned I had already dropped off my ballot at the collection box at the JeffCo government building. Her response, "Do you trust that?" If you don't trust the box outside the County offices, which we have been using for years, what do you trust? The stable genius is, once again, proving to be not so smart.
Exactly Early Worm. The whole disinformation strategy was to “own the libs” by fomenting distrust in mail in ballots or drop boxes by encouraging voting in person only. Then they could clog up the polling places and cause havoc the day of the election. Then they can attempt to call the election early to disenfranchise those voting in person, especially at the last minute.
I guess he forgot the key part that only his base is listening to this bullshit, so millions of us who want his ass out are voting early, many by mail in ballots or drop boxes, to make sure our votes count.
So now it looks like his base is still sitting on their hands waiting until election day, and an unprecedented amount of Americans who have had enough are voting him out now through other means.
Kind of the exact opposite outcome of what the stable genius was planning.
Winning !
"So now it looks like his base is still sitting on their hands waiting until election day, and an unprecedented amount of Americans who have had enough are voting him out now through other means."
Meanwhile, if they keep attending his campaign events without masks, many will become infect and symptomatic by Election Day, and too sick to show up to vote. And it's too late for them to early vote or request absentee ballot – which after all, he told them not to do.
In 2016, $rump told people to vote for him before they died. seriously, this is like a doomsday cult nowadays. 😵
In Colorado, it literally is only "too late" to register and vote when the doors close at 7 pm on November 3 (or when the people standing in line at 7 pm are done voting at a Voter Service & Polling Center — which may be long after 7 pm).
Drive through drops and 24 hour ballot boxes are locked down at 7 pm November 3, too.
Most counties in Colorado have said they will stop sending out ballots on October 26. But after that, Denver voters ( and I think others) will be able to call their election officers and have a ballot prepared for inside or curbside pick up at a VSPC, until 5 pm on November 3.
Colorado generally and Denver in particular REALLY bend over backwards to make it possible to vote.
Oh shit, Moderanus needs to get in here STAT and say why it's all a lie.
The Democrat Arapahoe County clerk said it best: "vote early, vote often!"
I thought Donald Trump told people in North Carolina to vote twice. That outranks a mere county clerk in Colorado.
Be sure to put all your votes in a GOP-approved dropbox Nutter!
I admittedly don't understand a few things about this California GOP ballot box thing. If anyone knows the answer, please let me know.
First, if it is illegal, why isn't someone responsible being prosecuted for a crime ?
I saw the California GOP has refused to take them down. How the hell can they get away with that, especially if this is a criminal offense ?
What are they doing with the ballots ? I am sure many are being thrown away. Is anyone watching them pick up the ballots and seeing where they are going ?
Wondering the same. WTF? Even Ahhnold is calling BS.
Same here. I was in Cali last week when this was a breaking story but don't know how they've yet to resolve this flagrant violation of the law by the law and order cranks. I believe the registration of CA Republics is down to less than 25% of the population.
As I remember it — "Vote early and vote often" came out of Cook County, Illinois.
Funny. Did Joan Lopez go back in time to the 19th Century to coin that phrase? Did the phrase ever just turn into a harmless quip that only gives wingnuts an excuse to act butthurt about so-called "voter fraud"?
Or maybe that is why Republicans set up fake ballot drop boxes in California illegally.