Voter turnout so far for this year's election is, simply put, not great so far.
The low turnout was expected -- it is an off year after all -- and there is still plenty of time to cast your ballot and even register to vote in Denver, and really, anywhere in Colorado (same-day voter registration, FTW).
Despite the dismal sub-10 percent voter turnout in the city as of Thursday, we thought it might be nice to highlight the fact that among the over 42,000 ballots cast so far, at least 247 ballots have come from the city's youngest voters, aged 17 to 19. And yes, that's a tiny amount relative to everyone else -- shout out to voters 65 years and older, you're killing it -- but here at Denverite, we are brimming with civic pride knowing the future of our republic will be in the hands of these young, civically engaged people.
And we would like to send a very special happy birthday to one of two 17-year-old voters who have so far voted in this election. Denver Elections spokesperson Alton Dillard confirmed to Denverite one of those 17-year-old voters turns 18 today, thus making them eligible to cast a ballot under state law. Anyone who turns 18 on or before Election Day (which this year falls on Nov. 2) can vote in the election.
So happy birthday, young voter. And let us know if you want to talk about your experience (send us an email at [email protected]). Good luck to the other 43,000-plus Denver voters who are under 24 years old and have yet to return their ballots. If you need help completing it, we've got you covered.
