The Moffat County Clerk’s Office reported that the Nov. 8 midterm election went very smoothly with most of the voters casting in-person ballots. 

Moffat County Elections Coordinator Sarah Colding said the in-person voters had to wait in line, but they were all patient and respectful. 

“We had quite a few first-time voters, which I loved to see,” Colding said. 

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According to Colding, many voters commented they didn’t realize they could vote during the early voting period. Colding said there has been a lot of misinformation out there telling voters they could only cast ballots on Election Day or to bring their mail-in ballot into the office on Election Day and not before. 

“I think voters have taken that information to heart,” Colding said. “I think what they don’t realize is that the ballot that was mailed out to them is the exact same ballot that we will issue them in replacement when they come into the election office.” 

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Colding emphasized that it is safe to drop off mail ballots in the drop box outside of the courthouse. The ballot drop box has 24-hour surveillance, and ballots are collected three to four times daily by bipartisan judges. 

“Early voting is a great way of skipping the long election lines on Election Day,” Colding said. 

This year, 5,430 Moffat County voters participated in the midterm elections, which Colding said was pretty close to the turnout in prior midterm elections. 

In the 2020 presidential race, Moffat County had 73% of its active voters participate versus the midterm election, in which 63% of Moffat County voters cast ballots. 

“We had a good number of voters, but not as many as I would have liked to have seen,” Colding said.

She added that it’s important to vote in every election — not just the presidential elections. 

“I applaud and want to thank the voters who took the time out of their day to either cast a mail ballot or to come into the elections office and cast their votes in person,” Colding said. 

Quite a few voters used the electronic voting machines, which Colding said offer a quicker way to vote and reduce the amount of paperwork that the election staff and judges have to do. There were also a number of voters with disabilities who utilized the voting machines. 

“We had six voting machines set up, and we had voters comment that it was a much easier process than they thought it would be,” Colding said. “It was wonderful to meet voters and tell them how the election process works and hear their comments and feedback on how this election was run.”

Colding also said the elections office is always in need of election judges, and training is provided for anyone who meets the eligibility requirements. 

To find out more about how to become an election judge, contact Sarah Colding, election coordinator, at 970-824-9120 or scolding@moffatcounty.net, or stop by the elections office at 221 W. Victory Way next to the Moffat County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.