Voters continued to stream into the Pitkin County Clerk’s Office in Aspen this afternoon. Filled-in ballots can be dropped off there and people can vote on-site until 7 o’clock tonight. Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen caught up with some voters who talked about their top concerns.
It was apparent the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Mark Udall and Republican Cory Gardner brought people to the polls. One voter said Gardner’s views don’t mesh with his on issues like gay marriage and climate change. Aspen resident Ramsey Bond says she’s most concerned about women’s rights.
"I definitely believe in the right of having access to preventative pregnancy items and if I need to have an abortion, I want that option. I don’t think someone who isn’t a woman should be deciding what women are allowed to do and not do."
She voted for Udall, whose campaign has had a focus on women’s issues. Bond supported Proposition 105, which requires labels for genetically modified food.
"I just think a lot of peoples’ ailments are due to GMO’s in our food supplies," she says.
Candy Annan also supported the GMO labeling initiative. She says, "I think we have a right to know what’s in our food when we buy it."
The so-called Personhood Amendment is another measure she’s passionate about. She voted against it.
"I think these abortion issues that come up during elections, they’ve been coming up for the past 20 years, and I think they’re ridiculous and archaic. We need to move on and forget about abortion issues right now."
The measure would change the state’s criminal code and wrongful death act to include the term “unborn human beings” when referring to a person or child. Two similar measures have failed in recent years.
For voter Teraissa McGovern, this all-mail ballot election brought an ease to the voting process.
"It was so much easier than past elections because I got time to sit down and think about the issues and look at the ballot," she says. "And, the little blue book was super helpful."