AURORA | Hundreds of Aurora residents flocked to vote centers to cast their votes in the 2012 General Election electronically, as early voting opened Oct. 22 in Arapahoe and Adams counties.
Arapahoe County officials said more than 200 people voted by machine on the first day of early voting at the Arapahoe Centrepoint Plaza, one of two Aurora early voting locations.
Aurora resident Betty Ward voted at Centrepoint Plaza the next day, Oct. 23, after having thoroughly researched the candidates and ballot issues. Ward said it took her about 10 minutes to vote on the machine. “I would rather vote in person,” said Ward, who voted for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. “I feel like it’s more part of the process, more part of the excitement.”
Many people, including Aurora resident Angie Montenegro, prefer to cast their votes early to beat the rush of procrastinators on Election Day.
Montenegro voted by machine on Oct. 23 and said the opportunity to vote early is hugely convenient.
“Knowing my vote is in, and having gotten in and out again in less than 15 minutes is great,” said Montenegro, a registered independent who voted for President Barack Obama.
Officials at Arapahoe County’s early vote centers did encounter a minor setback, though. Some residents came to the vote centers misinformed about how their votes would be counted, which caused Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Nancy Doty some concern.
A rumor began circling on Oct. 22 that caused voters to give back their mail-in ballots because they thought they “didn’t count” in the 2012 General Election.
Doty said more than 75 people visited early voting centers on Oct. 22 to give back their mail-in ballots.
“People are coming into the centers saying they want to surrender their mail-in ballots because they didn’t believe it will be counted, and they want to vote on the machine,” Doty said.
She had no further information about the rumor or where it started.
Aurora resident Micah Marmaro, who wasn’t confused about the mail-in option, said he mailed his ballot two days after he received it.
“I think that it’s a courteous thing to do for the counters,” he said. “It helps them tally votes in a less-hurried way.”
Marmaro, a registered Republican who voted for Romney, said he knew right away how he was going to vote on issues and which candidates he was going to choose.
About 80 percent of Arapahoe County’s active, registered voters requested mail-in ballots, and Doty’s office started mailing them to residents on Oct. 15.
Early voting in Arapahoe County will be open until Nov. 2. The early vote locations in Aurora for Arapahoe County are: Arapahoe Centrepoint Plaza, 14980 E. Alameda Dr., open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Mission Viejo Branch Library, 15324 E. Hampden Circle, open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Early voting centers in Adams County will be open until Nov. 2, Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Voted mail-in ballots, in the signed official return envelope, will be accepted at early voting locations.
The early vote location in Aurora for Adams County is at the Aurora Motor Vehicle office, 3449 N. Chambers Rd. Suite A.