Early voting lagging in Larimer County

Voter turnout for this year's election continues to lag behind what officials had expected given the number of contentious races and issues on the ballot.

As of Friday, 38 percent of Larimer County's active registered voters had cast their ballots by mail or at early voting centers, according the Larimer County Clerk's Office.

That could portend a low turnout come Tuesday, when voters will be able to cast ballots at 24 vote centers around the county, or it could mean the centers "will get dumped on," said Larimer County Clerk Scott Doyle.

"It's really hard to say what is going to happen," Doyle said. "I would say if you are going to a vote center, you might plan on being there a while. We could have some pretty good lines."

The slow turnout could indicate voters are "doing their homework" and studying issues closely before casting their ballots, Doyle said. It also could reflect some apathy brought on by the onslaught of negative advertising in key races.      – More -