Pitkin County primary draws plenty of voters
The Aspen Times
Aspen, CO Colorado
ASPEN – Tuesday’s election saw the third highest voter turnout ever for a primary in Pitkin County as 3,107 voters – or about 23 percent of the electorate – cast ballots, according to preliminary election numbers generated by the county clerk’s office.
The primary, highlighted by the local races for sheriff and commissioner and one of the country’s most heated U.S. Senate contests, took the third spot after the 1992 and 2000 presidential primaries at 28.8 percent and 27.8 percent, respectively.
The county is home to 13,616 eligible voters.
But the Pitkin County turnout fell far below Tuesday’s average voter turnout for Colorado, which registered more than 40 percent.
County elections manager Dwight Shellman III said the high turnout may have resulted from campaign tactics from some local and national candidates.
“I know Rob Ittner mounted a pretty thorough get-out-the-vote effort. Jack Johnson did the same,” Shellman said.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet also campaigned heavily in Pitkin County.
Shellman said the numbers are not final as the clerk’s office still has to determine the status of absentee votes.
The deadline for generating final numbers is Aug. 23.
Professional dancers return to Aspen to perform in ‘The Nutcracker’
Roaring Fork Valley natives Emily Ridings and Nikki Ferry have come full circle when it comes to dance. Both studied dance with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) as kids, continued their training with other prominent schools, and now return this weekend, as ASFB presents “The Nutcracker” at Aspen District Theater.
