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Half of Coloradans have already voted (question for coloradans at bottom)
Denver Business Journal ^ | 11/3/08 | Mark Harden

Posted on 11/03/2008 1:06:44 PM PST by Ravi

Tuesday is the official election day, but nearly 1.6 million Coloradans have already cast their ballots, which amounts to almost half of all registered voters.

(Excerpt) Read more at bizjournals.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: co2008; colorado; earlyvoting; palin; swingstates
I have a question. They state that 447000 repubs and 457000 dems have returned their absentee ballots. But 1.6 million ballots have been mailed out. That means there are 700,000 outstanding ballots that have not been returned. Does anyone know how many were requested by repubs and how many by dems? B/C at this point, if you haven't mailed it back, you have to take it with you to election day - I don't think many will. And you can't just vote if you've received an absentee ballot.
1 posted on 11/03/2008 1:06:44 PM PST by Ravi
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To: Ravi

Sadly I suspect that would be a lot of military voters who seem to always have problems voting via absentee.


2 posted on 11/03/2008 1:09:38 PM PST by Crimson Elephant
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To: Ravi

Of the 457,000 dems a minimum of 10 percent will be PUMAS and conservative democrats that would not vote Obama. That means McCain is up in Colorado. Take that to the bank. Colorado will stay red.


3 posted on 11/03/2008 1:10:00 PM PST by jrooney (I am not voting for Spread the Wealth/Senator Government. I am voting for the War Hero and Baracuda.)
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To: Ravi
Your numbers are off:

Mail-in ballots have been received from 1,224,766 voters, according to figures released Monday by the office of Secretary of State Mike Coffman, and another 365,215 took part in early voting, which ended last week.

For a total of 1.6 million. "Decline to state" is a significant portion of Colorado voters. So the "missing" 250,000 or so absentee ballots undoubtedly came from there. Up until recently statewide the "Decline to state" folks, in registration numbers, came in at #2 behind the GOP. The Dems might have moved into second place by now, I dunno.

Colorado is gonna go GOP. Right now they're trying to win the Allard Senate seat, too.

4 posted on 11/03/2008 1:10:58 PM PST by impeachedrapist (Bill Clinton, as Arkansas Attorney General did you make Juanita Broaddrick pay for her rape kit?)
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To: Crimson Elephant

I remember a thread from a few weeks ago from the Obama camp crowing about how many dems have requested absentee ballots in CO. If that is true, it looks like they received a ballot and threw it away or discarded it in some other fashion. Military may account for what like 5 to 10 thousand but the vast majority of the 700,000 I’d be curious to find out.


5 posted on 11/03/2008 1:11:54 PM PST by Ravi
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To: Ravi
447000 GOP vs. 457000 DEMS. That's what - a 2% advantage for the dems? I thought it was supposed to 7-10%. ;-)

I don't know the laws in Colorado, but I assume many more will be coming in the next 2 days. There's probably places to drop them off on election day. Hopefully, millions of Obamabots will try to MAIL them tomorrow. ;-)
6 posted on 11/03/2008 1:13:18 PM PST by GLDNGUN
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To: Ravi
So, according to this article, the Democrats have about a 10,000-vote advantage in absentee ballots and almost an 18,000-vote advantage in early voting. So 28,000+ out of 1.6 million votes.

Wow, what a stunning and unprecedented Democratic advantage. No wonder the pollsters and pundits are telling us what an Obama blowout this will be. [giggle]

7 posted on 11/03/2008 1:13:44 PM PST by impeachedrapist (Bill Clinton, as Arkansas Attorney General did you make Juanita Broaddrick pay for her rape kit?)
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To: jrooney; Crimson Elephant; Ravi

And I’d like to compliment the author of this article. It’s concise, flows well, and deals with facts. Not opinions or Dem talking points. Rather refreshing.


8 posted on 11/03/2008 1:16:28 PM PST by impeachedrapist (Bill Clinton, as Arkansas Attorney General did you make Juanita Broaddrick pay for her rape kit?)
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To: impeachedrapist

You’re right. I forgot the independents. But 1.2 million have been mailed back in thus far and 1.6 million were mailed out. That still leaves 400,000 outstanding absentee ballots - I’m wondering who’s holding them and how many will come in the next day. Could be key to this state.


9 posted on 11/03/2008 1:17:03 PM PST by Ravi
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To: impeachedrapist

Wow, what a stunning and unprecedented Democratic advantage.”

The amazing Obama ground game in action?


10 posted on 11/03/2008 1:17:03 PM PST by ConservativeDude
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To: jrooney
Colorado will stay red.

Lord, make it so.
Please.

11 posted on 11/03/2008 1:17:59 PM PST by La Enchiladita (Que Sarah, Sarah.... we're gonna win one for Track and ALL his buddies.)
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To: Ravi

This thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2123650/posts

is related—I had to pay to make sure my CO absentee ballot got there in time.


12 posted on 11/03/2008 1:19:00 PM PST by proud American in Canada ("We can, and we will prevail.")
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To: Ravi
I don't have specific numbers but I recall the Denver Post indicated that those who self identify as "unaffiliated" voters in Colorado is about equal to the number of Republicans, making Democrats the third largest group in the state.

The battle in Colorado is how those "unaffiliated" voters will split between McCain and Obama.

13 posted on 11/03/2008 1:22:48 PM PST by huskerone (Proud father of a Devil Dog- Home from the Sandbox for now)
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To: jrooney; impeachedrapist

From your keyboards to God’s eyes, I pray! I’m in Colorado Springs, and both Obama and Mark Udall (extremely liberal senatorial candidate) are reputed to have substantial leads in the state overall (not in MY county, that’s for sure). I’m going to be sick if my beloved state goes blue. Myself, I’ve already mailed in my ballot. GO SARAH!!! GO BOB SCHAFFER!!!


14 posted on 11/03/2008 1:24:00 PM PST by American Quilter (Vote Democrat--It's Easier Than Thinking)
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To: jrooney; impeachedrapist

From your keyboards to God’s eyes, I pray! I’m in Colorado Springs, and both Obama and Mark Udall (extremely liberal senatorial candidate) are reputed to have substantial leads in the state overall (not in MY county, that’s for sure). I’m going to be sick if my beloved state goes blue. Myself, I’ve already mailed in my ballot. GO SARAH!!! GO BOB SCHAFFER!!!


15 posted on 11/03/2008 1:24:13 PM PST by American Quilter (Vote Democrat--It's Easier Than Thinking)
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To: impeachedrapist

Colorado is gonna go GOP. Right now they’re trying to win the Allard Senate seat, too.

That is going to be a tough one to win. Udall has over 50 percent which is the line most FREEPERS use to say who wins or does not win. That is why is is great when dems only have 49 percent lead cuz they did not hit that 50 percent mark. Your thoughts?


16 posted on 11/03/2008 1:24:34 PM PST by napscoordinator
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To: Ravi

I hand delivered mine to the county clerks office, date-stamped it, and dropped it in the box. But yes, I’m a little worried about people who haven’t returned theirs yet.


17 posted on 11/03/2008 1:25:15 PM PST by COgamer
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To: jrooney; impeachedrapist

Oops, sorry for the double post—election jitters.


18 posted on 11/03/2008 1:25:40 PM PST by American Quilter (Vote Democrat--It's Easier Than Thinking)
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To: jrooney; All
Of the 457,000 dems a minimum of 10 percent will be PUMAS and conservative democrats that would not vote Obama. That means McCain is up in Colorado. Take that to the bank. Colorado will stay red.

OMG I hope you are right! From your lips to God's ears, and every other cliched phrase I can think of!
19 posted on 11/03/2008 1:26:52 PM PST by notdownwidems (Vote Republican! We're 1/10 of 1% better than the other guys!)
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To: Ravi
That still leaves 400,000 outstanding absentee ballots - I’m wondering who’s holding them and how many will come in the next day. Could be key to this state.

Yeah, that still does leave about 400K unaccounted for. I'm sure some folks decided to vote in person after watching the SecState shenanigans in Ohio and maybe elsewhere. Plus there's no telling how many of those ballots are the result of false ACORN/other registrations. I can bet that both parties are furiously following up with legitimate voters to get their ballots in on time.

20 posted on 11/03/2008 1:27:00 PM PST by impeachedrapist (Bill Clinton, as Arkansas Attorney General did you make Juanita Broaddrick pay for her rape kit?)
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To: COgamer

I wonder who hasn’t returned theirs. Slacker dems or motivated repubs.


21 posted on 11/03/2008 1:27:08 PM PST by Ravi
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To: jrooney

I hope so but I am worried. The polls have Udall over Shaeffer by > 10%. Either the polls are as far off in the senate race as they are in the pres race, or we are going to have a hard time in Colorado. I hope its the former. We’ll see...


22 posted on 11/03/2008 1:28:34 PM PST by Mom MD (Jesus is the Light of the world!)
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To: impeachedrapist

That’s the thing. If you haven’t turned your absentee ballot in, you can’t just show up and vote - you need the absentee ballot with you. My hunch is a bunch of libs lost their ballot or threw it away and don’t much care about tomorrow - I could be wrong.


23 posted on 11/03/2008 1:30:14 PM PST by Ravi
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To: Ravi

Just to round out the numbers, according to 2008 Early Voting, the Colorado vote is already up to 74% of the total vote cast in 2004 — in that election Bush carried Colorado over Kerry by almost 5 percentage points. And, in 2004, early voting accounted for 48% of the total votes cast. Interesting year.


24 posted on 11/03/2008 1:30:49 PM PST by newroark (Alaska Attorney)
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To: napscoordinator
Udall has over 50 percent which is the line most FREEPERS use to say who wins or does not win. That is why is is great when dems only have 49 percent lead cuz they did not hit that 50 percent mark. Your thoughts?

I think Schaeffer (sp??) is the underdog, but not by much. Udall's lead (if any) is linked to Obama's phantom lead. Pollsters almost always combined Presidential and statewide polls. They might release them on different days, but the data is compiled during the same phone call. So if a pollster shows an unprecedented Dem turnout for POTUS, that same unprecedented turnout applies to the Senate race.

For what it's worth, CO polls generally seem to underrepresent GOP turnout. Why, I'm not sure. Allard looked like a goner for much of 2002, yet he won comfortably. And although this race doesn't have an incumbent, 55% is usually the magic mark where an incumbent is considered vulnerable. Not 50%, but 55%. Because polling is not an exact science, and candidates, issues and $$$$ can and do move numbers.

Personally, if McCain and the GOP didn't feel Schaeffer could win this seat, I don't think they'd be back in Colorado.

25 posted on 11/03/2008 1:33:29 PM PST by impeachedrapist (Bill Clinton, as Arkansas Attorney General did you make Juanita Broaddrick pay for her rape kit?)
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To: All

Information:

2004 Bush / Kerry results Among Colorado Independents:
Kerry 49%, Bush 48%, Nader 1%

The independents do not seem to skew in CO, or didn’t in 2004.


26 posted on 11/03/2008 1:34:15 PM PST by Owen
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To: Mom MD

How did Colorado go from two Repub. senators (Nighthorse- Campbell and Allard) to that lib tard Salazar and even worse, Boulderite Udall. Wish all the stupid CA transplants that moved here would please go back...


27 posted on 11/03/2008 1:35:02 PM PST by Pondo
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To: Ravi
That’s the thing. If you haven’t turned your absentee ballot in, you can’t just show up and vote - you need the absentee ballot with you.

Or, if they do it like my state (VA), you can fill out a provisional ballot. Those ballots are then set aside and counted separately, after hopefully ensuring that the absentee ballot was never used (thereby allowing someone to vote twice).

28 posted on 11/03/2008 1:36:09 PM PST by impeachedrapist (Bill Clinton, as Arkansas Attorney General did you make Juanita Broaddrick pay for her rape kit?)
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To: Pondo

and all the transplants from a little further south as well. Colorado has become a bilingual state. I hope the polls are wrong but I have a feeling they are not. (I’ll save someone the time, I am NOT a troll)


29 posted on 11/03/2008 1:40:57 PM PST by Mom MD (Jesus is the Light of the world!)
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To: Pondo

Don’t forget from Gov. Owens to Gov. Ritter. Owen’s was kinda lukewarm for me, but no Gov. Ritter that’s for sure.


30 posted on 11/03/2008 1:43:33 PM PST by beaversmom
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To: Ravi

You have FReepmail.


31 posted on 11/03/2008 1:46:21 PM PST by American Quilter (Vote Democrat--It's Easier Than Thinking)
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To: Pondo
Wish all the stupid CA transplants that moved here would please go back...

And take the illegals with them. I wonder how many illegals are voting in our state's election...

32 posted on 11/03/2008 1:50:38 PM PST by American Quilter (Vote Democrat--It's Easier Than Thinking)
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To: Ravi

You are permitted to drop off a mail-in ballot at designated drop off areas up to 7 pm tomorrow evening. I believe these mail-in/absentee ballots also include military personnel.


33 posted on 11/03/2008 1:57:01 PM PST by ebersole
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To: huskerone

North Carolina, according the the NC BOE:
Democratic: 2,865,662 Republican: 2,002,601 Libertarian: 3,607 Unaffiliated: 1,393,960 Total: 6,265,830
I am not unaffiliated, but I am taking one of them to the polls with me. Voting for Palin.


34 posted on 11/03/2008 2:21:43 PM PST by momincombatboots (Not a journey for the feeble. Palin's ideals make even rotten McCain tempting.)
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To: Ravi

Today. in a very public setting, someone asked me who I thought would win the election. I responded “the lawyers”.

Most of the folks around us were die-hard democrats, yet they all nerviously laughed and then said I was probably right and the election would be decided in the SCOTUS. No confidence on their part in an Obama landslide.

FWIW


35 posted on 11/03/2008 2:28:45 PM PST by Andy from Chapel Hill
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To: impeachedrapist

Yeah, the live vote should favor GOP. Obama has spent a lot of money to convince people to vote early or vote mail-in. GOP spent no money on this, thought it has been mentioned a fesw times in speeches.

Most traditionalists don’t want to vote until election day...I only voted early this time because I got spooked by the talk that there might not be enough ballots available.


36 posted on 11/03/2008 4:41:35 PM PST by cookcounty ("A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built." ---Governor Sarah Palin)
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To: Mom MD
"Colorado has become a bilingual state"

GOP will get 50%+ of the Hispanic vote in El Paso County (Colo Spgs) which is the largest county by population in the state.

On the way home today, I got off I-25 at Briargate, and there was an African-American family with big McCain signs waving at everybody at the intersection.

Colorado Springs is an odd place, but I like it.

37 posted on 11/03/2008 4:48:46 PM PST by cookcounty ("A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built." ---Governor Sarah Palin)
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To: American Quilter

And Lamborn, though I know he’s got an easier time than those two!


38 posted on 11/03/2008 4:55:12 PM PST by JSDude1
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To: cookcounty

one of the best places in the state, I agree. I live in district 6, another solidly repub and conservative part of the state (south denver suburban)


39 posted on 11/03/2008 5:54:44 PM PST by Mom MD (Jesus is the Light of the world!)
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