Election Day sees only minor problems at polls

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KUSA - Even though more than half of Colorado's active voters had already cast their ballots before Election Day, there were still long lines and a few problems at some of the polling places across the state on Tuesday.
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At the Christ Community Church at Hampden and Colorado, the Denver Elections Commission says the polling judges were missing names beginning with G through U on their voter registration rolls. Once the commission learned of the mishap, they got a new book out to the location within a half hour.

At Manuel High School, touch screen machines were in use for disabled voters, but were not working properly. Denver officials say they are no longer using the touch screens and instead are using paper ballots.

Voting at Green Valley Ranch Rec Center was disrupted briefly when a drunk man arrived at the polling location and refused to leave. Denver Police were called in and asked the man to leave. He left without incident.

At the Church of the Risen Christ in Denver, and at two other polling places, there was a shortage of secrecy sleeves. Denver County Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley says voters are able to cast their vote without a secrecy sleeve, if needed.

Officials say extra secrecy sleeves were brought to the locations where shortages were reported.

If you had trouble voting, contact 9Wants to Know.

You can also call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or CLICK HERE. Members of Colorado Common Cause a non-partisan non profit are answering voters' questions and taking reports of voting issues.

Polls closed Tuesday at 7 p.m.

This year's election will see the largest voter turnout in Colorado state history.

Prior to Election Day, 64.6 percent of all active voters in Colorado had turned in their ballot; 50.8 percent turned in mail-in ballots while 13.8 percent cast their votes at an early voting location.

That's a total of 1,704,280 early votes.

Compare that with the previous high in Colorado from 2004 when 1,042,719 people voted early, either by mail or in person before Election Day.

Click here to read more about the huge voter turnout.

Colorado is considered a swing state in the presidential election, so many national eyes will be on the state to see if it goes for Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain.

There are also two key races for Congress that have garnered national attention: the race for Colorado's open seat in the U.S. Senate and the race in Colorado's 4th Congressional District.

The polls in the Senate race have given Democrat Mark Udall an edge over Republican Bob Schaffer, but the race is still close.

In the 4th District, Democrat Betsy Markey is very competitive with incumbent Republican Marilyn Musgrave.