Election 2020 In Colorado: Presidential Race, U.S. Senate & More
A record-breaking 2.5 million Coloradans have cast their ballots ahead of Election Day, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office.
Colorado has nine electoral college votes, which are important in deciding whether former Vice President Joe Biden can unseat President Donald Trump.
Former Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, is looking to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in Colorado, which is one of several states that have pivotal U.S. Senate races — if Democrats can flip those seats, they can take control of the Senate.
The races occur in what's been dubbed the 'coronavirus election,' as COVID-19 case numbers rise in Colorado and across the country. More than 2,000 Coloradans have lost their lives, and more than 9,000 have been hospitalized in our state since the outbreak began.
The latest polling average from RealClearPolitics shows Biden up by nine points in Colorado, a state that Hillary Clinton won narrowly in 2016 over Trump. Over the past decade, Colorado has seen a significant shift to the left, and the number of unaffiliated voters has grown in our state.
Patch will be bringing you live results for the presidential race in Colorado. Check back here when polls close for links to our live updating results from election night.
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Colorado counties began processing ballots before Election Day, and between 70 and 80 percent of Coloradans' ballots will be counted by Tuesday night, the Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said.
"In Colorado, county clerks process ballots prior to election day, which enables a high percentage of results to be reported on Election Night. But Election Night results are never final results," Griswold said in a statement.
"In the days after Election Day, military and overseas voters return their ballots, signature discrepancies can be fixed, and a risk-limiting audit is conducted to determine statistical confidence in the results. Like any election, there is quite a bit of activity after Election Day."
Results in our state are not reported based on how ballots are cast — for example, ballots cast in-person are not reported separately or before ballots returned by mail or drop box.
In past elections, Colorado has been able to provide more than 75 percent of results on election night; however, that percentage "may be impacted by the unique circumstances surrounding this year's election and high turnout," the Colorado Secretary of State's Office said.
After Election Day, voters in Colorado have a "cure period" to fix issues with their ballots, including discrepant signatures. Cures, mailed military and overseas ballots are due by Nov. 12, and counties will then have until Nov. 13 to process cured ballots and overseas and military voter ballots. The Secretary of State's Office will then oversee the state's risk-limiting audit, which "provides a high level of statistical confidence in the results of the election," the office said.
If they are necessary, recounts can occur in the weeks following the election, and official results won't be confirmed until mid-December. If there are no recounts, results will be certified as official on Nov. 30, officials said.
The Colorado State Senate has 18 seats out of 35 that are up for election, and the Colorado House has 65 seats up for election. Coloradans will also choose seven U.S. Representatives — one from each of the state's seven congressional districts.
There are three state board of education seats and three state board of regents seats up for election, and local races also include judicial and county commissioner seats, among others.
Below are the races Patch will be updating live on election night:
Presidential race: Trump vs. Biden - Colorado results
U.S. Senate race: Hickenlooper vs. Gardner
Denver election results: All local races
Boulder election results: All local races
Arvada election results: All local races
Lakewood election results: All local races
Littleton election results: All local races
Check back here when the polls close for live updating results.
This article originally appeared on the Across Colorado Patch
