4th Sep 2012 at 15:23 | By Aaron Gardner
Colorado Counties Have More Voters Than People
A review of voter registration data for ten counties in Colorado details a pattern of voter bloat inflating registration rolls to numbers larger than the total voting age population. Using publicly available voter data and comparing it to U.S. Census records reveals the ten counties having a total registration ranging between 104 to 140 percent of the respective populations.
Counties such as Gilpin and Hinsdale have 110 percent of their populations registered to vote. Gilpin County has a total population of 5,441 with 17.4% of the population below the voting age, making the highest possible number of registered voters 4,494. Currently Gilpin County has 4909 registered voters. Hinsdale County has a total population of 830 with 20% of the population below the voting age, making the highest possible number of registered voters 664. At 110 percent registration, that means that there are 515 excess voter registrations in Gilpin county and 68 excess registrations for Hinsdale.
When Media Trackers requested comment on the voter bloat in Gilpin county, Chief Deputy Gail Maxwell explained that “This is just a reminder Gilpin is a Gaming Community. The voters come and go!”
While these voters come and go, they manage to turnout to vote. Records show Gilpin County had 61 percent voter turnout in the 2010 election and Hinsdale County had an astounding 92 percent voter turnout. This is far above the Colorado average turnout of 48 percent, and the national average of 41 percent.
All ten counties investigated by Media Trackers reported voter turnout greater than the national average. Nine out of ten also showed voter turnout well above the Colorado average. Mineral and San Juan counties, which have voter registration numbers of 126 percent and 112 percent respectively, had voter turnout of 96 and 83 percent respectively.
Jackson, Summit, Cheyenne, and Elbert counties have 111, 107, 105, and 104 percent of their population registered to vote, while managing 71, 44, 71, and 63 percent voter turnout.
Rounding out the ten counties looked at by Media Trackers are San Miguel county, which topped the list at 140 percent of the population being registered to vote and 52 percent voter turnout, and Ouray county, which had 119 percent of the population registered to vote and a whopping 74 percent voter turnout.
While Ouray County has a total population of 4,356, with 17.8 percent of the population below the voting age, the county has 4,246 people registered to vote. The highest possible number of voting age residents in the county is 3,581, which is 775 less than the actual registered total.
San Miguel County has a total population of 7,359 with 19.2 percent of the population below the voting age, making the highest possible number of registered voters 5,946. If the census numbers are to be trusted, that results in the possibility of up to 2,390 individuals on the voter rolls who should not be.
Kathleen Erie, the Clerk and Recorder for San Miguel County, preemptively excused the voter bloat when responding to the CORA request from Media Trackers, saying “San Miguel County is a resort community. Many young people come here to work for a season or two and then move on.” Erie continued by explaining some of the voter bloat was due to senior citizens who “leave during large parts of the year, causing a (non-forwardable) mail ballot not to reach them.”
When Media Trackers asked Michelle Nauer, Clerk and Recorder for Ouray County, for an explanation regarding the enlarged voter rolls, she gave an answer similar to Erie’s. “Ouray has a large snow bird population” Nauer stated, “and residents fly south during the snowiest months, January through April.” Nauer went on to dispute the accuracy of the Census numbers, stating that “most of [her] voters were “counted by the census” in warmer climes, likely Arizona or Texas.”
In a separate analysis done by the Franklin Center, it was found that seventeen of Colorado’s sixty four counties have registration greater than 100 percent of the US Census voting age population.
As seen in the chart above detailing the persistent over registration of Ouray County, the Franklin Center analysis found that there are five counties which have reported greater than 100 percent of the voting age population as registered to vote for all years between 2004 and 2012.
Many of the counties contacted by Media Trackers responded with letters detailing the definitions of different voter classifications, i.e. active and inactive, as well as rules relating to the purging of voter data.
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Discussion | 26 Comments
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Silvereagle said
Sep 4, 2012 at 4:29 PM
As usual, GOP is trying to make something out of nothing. There is no voter fraud but the GOP is going to do everything they can to try and create something.
Kenny G said
Sep 6, 2012 at 1:21 PM
This is why we should require I.D. to vote.
Sasha said
Nov 9, 2012 at 11:35 AM
Silvereagle, the statement that ‘There is no voter fraud’ is demonstrably false. There was significant fraud on November 6th. While I do not think it affected the outcome, had the race been closer it well may have. To try to paint this as a partisan issue is to belittle it. Voter fraud is not a Democrat or Republican problem … it is a -national- problem which fundamentally threatens the integrity of our democracy. It must be treated seriously, investigated vigorously, and punished appropriately, or we ALL lose.
RJM Matthews said
Nov 11, 2012 at 1:10 AM
Community organizing is all about voter fraud. Think ACORN and Obango.
Still Stacy said
Sep 5, 2012 at 10:20 AM
This should not be identified as a **GOP** issue. This is a voter integrity issue, that effects all of us. If there were rumors/evidence supporting a surge in ballots cast for Republicans, Democrats would demand a review of the voter rolls, and presenting identification when at the ballot box.
Hank said
Sep 17, 2012 at 11:11 AM
Exactly. This tool must be a democrat as the only voter fraud seen by them is created by GOP…
Rosemary said
Nov 9, 2012 at 9:12 AM
IT is also the early voting that causes an issue. I also truly believe the voting age should be raised to 25. An 18 year old doesn’t know how a vote will effect him as most at that age don’t have to worry about taxes, mortagage paymnents, etc. This was evidenced by the comments made at interviews at some colleges. These kids are not informeded at all.
George Kennedy said
Nov 9, 2012 at 8:10 PM
Richland county SC the Democrats are doing that even sueing the county cause the lost there on several local things even trying to claim the republicans created the long lines at polling places
logicInformed said
Nov 15, 2012 at 6:48 PM
It is unconstitutional to restrict voting age above 18. Check the 26th amendment. You can’t send citizens to war and not allow them the choose who sends them.
John Dohrer said
Sep 5, 2012 at 10:48 AM
This is positive proof that every ten years at census time, that ALL voter rolls should be purged, and everyone should re register. This would eliminate all non qualified voters from cheating and dead people voting by absentee ballots. It would also stop any illegal’s from voting when they are not entitled. It would not inconvenience me to re register every ten years.
I am thoroughly disgusted with cheating in our elections.
logicInformed said
Nov 15, 2012 at 6:47 PM
It is unconstitutional to restrict voting age above 18. Check the 26th amendment. You can’t send citizens to war and not allow them the choose who sends them.
logicInformed said
Nov 15, 2012 at 6:49 PM
Sorry John, the reply button is atop each parent post. My rely was meant for the poster above you.
Carrie Clackum said
Sep 6, 2012 at 2:39 PM
This is not a GOP issue. Americans have the right to request everyone voting to have an ID. Why does everyone fight this. ID is required for everything else, why not the right to vote?
George Kennedy said
Nov 9, 2012 at 8:12 PM
i am in SC we wanted as a majority of the citizens but literally the ACLU went to court over it reprecenting 3 citizens of the state lol
Joanne Showman said
Sep 13, 2012 at 7:25 PM
Concerned Women for America checked this out in 2000, I believe, and came to a similiar conclusion. At that time they warned us in an article in their magazine. It might be worh while to republish that article.t
ElSid said
Nov 7, 2012 at 10:47 PM
If the author had taken a course in stats, he’d know that, to make political hay out of this, you’d have to compare it to counties in several states, and several “red states”.
Does it make it any better that Romney took Hinsdale (with the outrageous 92% voter turnout!) and exactly half of those counties, including Jackson, Cheyenne, Elbert, Mineral? LOL.
Aaron Gardner said
Nov 14, 2012 at 1:06 PM
This isn’t a partisan issue ElSid. If there are more registered voters than the population that is a problem no matter who they are voting for.
Kellie said
Nov 8, 2012 at 5:07 PM
shocker.
mark said
Nov 8, 2012 at 6:15 PM
You do realize that one can be a registered voter of a county, but not a full time resident or counted by the census? I, for one, am registered in Chaffee County Colorado (where I own a house, am registered to vote and vote regularly via an absentee ballot). However, I am not counted on the census as I currently reside in British Columbia, Canada (where I also own a house). Ditto for my wife. I know quite a people in the same boat (one couple I know spends about half the year in France, another spends quite a bit of time in the Galapagos, another couple live part time on a sail boat in the Caribbean etc). Many of the counties you mention have a great number of affluent (and retired) people spending huge chunks of time in various areas, so it is not at all surprising that an affluent ski town in the Colorado Rockies would have a fair number of votes coming from absentee voters not listed on the census. What a non issue.
Aaron Gardner said
Nov 14, 2012 at 1:09 PM
The combination of high turnout and more people registered than actually living there makes this something that should be looked at. What you say may be true, but anecdote is not that same as evidence.
MadMike said
Nov 8, 2012 at 9:20 PM
Wow, voter irregularties? I am shocked.
Wendy Posh said
Nov 9, 2012 at 11:27 AM
If people are voting twice in one county and another I should be allowed two votes also
Seth Alu said
Nov 9, 2012 at 5:40 PM
Wisconsin trending republican? LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS!!
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The only reason why I looked at Wisconsin is because of the recent anecdotal evidence with the Scott Walker elections in both 2010 and 2012. It immediately jumped at me that something just did not seem right. In fact, Scott Walker increased his victory margin in his recall election just 5 months ago from his prior election in 2010.
So, to summarize, statewide there is recent anecdotal evidence that WISCONSIN WAS TRENDING MORE REPUBLICAN – NOT LESS.
Approximately 500,000 more voters voted than those that voted 5 months ago. Of those 500,000 new voters only 12.5% voted republican vs the 87.5% new voters voting democrat.
Then I decided to look at a county by county breakdown of votes comparing Scott Walker (R)/Tom Barrett (D) on 5 June 2012 (5 months prior) vs Barrack Obama (D)/Mitt Romney (R) on 6 November 2012 (5 months later).
Below is a breakdown of voting in 3 counties in Wisconsin.
—————————-
Marinette County:
Walker got 61.9% of the vote. He got 10,267 votes. Barrett got 37.6% of the vote. He got 6,242 votes.
Romney got 51% of the vote. He got 10,609 votes. Obama got 48% of the vote. He got 9,868 votes.
Romney got about 440 more republican votes. Obama got about 3,620 more democrat votes.
THAT’S APPROXIMATELY 4,060 MORE VOTERS VOTING THAN THOSE THAT VOTED 5 MONTHS PRIOR. OF THOSE 4,060 NEW VOTERS: 10.8% VOTED REPUBLICAN/89.1% VOTED DEMOCRAT.
(it gets worse…)
—————————-
Door County:
Walker got 56.8% of the vote. He got 8,401 votes. Barrett got 42.7% of the vote. He got 6,308 votes.
Romney got 46% of the vote. He got 8,109 votes. Obama got 53% of the vote. He got 9,338 votes.
Romney had a net loss of about 290 republican votes. Obama netted about 3,030 more democrat votes.
THAT’S ABOUT 2,740 MORE VOTERS. ALL 100% OF THOSE 2,740 NEW VOTES WENT DEMOCRAT.
—————————-
Marathon County:
Walker got 62.1% of the vote. He got 36,352 votes. Barrett got 37.2% of the vote. He got 21,809 votes.
Romney got 53% of the vote. He got 36,568 votes. Obama got 46% of the vote. He got 32,330 votes.
Romney got about 215 more republican votes. Obama got about 10,520 more democrat votes.
THAT’S ABOUT 10,735 MORE VOTERS. OF THOSE 10,735 NEW VOTERS: ONLY 2% VOTED REPUBLICAN/AND AN ASTOUNDING 98% VOTED DEMOCRAT.
—————————-
This is JUST 3 COUNTIES. In every county I looked at, these skewed numbers continued. Some were not as bad. But ALL OF THEM FAILED THE EYEBALL TEST.
Something is just not right. And if it is not right in Wisconsin, then where else is it just not right?
Zach Vaughn said
Nov 9, 2012 at 11:21 PM
Aaron, how did you calculate the turnout figures, because they don’t match the official records from the Colorado SoS?
Aaron Gardner said
Nov 14, 2012 at 1:04 PM
You’ll have to be more specific. This post was written in September and matched the records available at the SoS at the time.
Charlotte said
Nov 10, 2012 at 9:01 PM
I was one of them registering southern Colorado. we stood in front of Walmarts registering people from small towns such as Rocky Ford and canyon city. These small towns consist mainly elderly these people would vote and shop in town so we would sign them up for mail in ballots. Completely legal as long as they’re Colorado residents. What should be more of a concern is being able to register online.