Not exactly a voting crowd in Cole

Where'd everybody go? I’m a little worried about voter turnout. All day, I’ve been looking out the window toward my polling place, the St. Charles Recreation Center in Denver’s Cole neighborhood, in search of a line or any hint of chaos. But it's been very quiet. At 3 p.m., I...

By Michael Roberts

November 4, 2008

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Where'd everybody go?

I’m a little worried about voter turnout. All day, I’ve been looking out the window toward my polling place, the St. Charles Recreation Center in Denver’s Cole neighborhood, in search of a line or any hint of chaos. But it's been very quiet. At 3 p.m., I walked over to the gym. The only people outside were few guys handing out "Vote 'No' on 47, 49 and 54" fliers. Inside, it was equally quiet. There was no line and just three other voters. My paper ballot was simple enough, except for one extra squiggle I made, on the presidential vote of course, that had me nervous until I showed it to a worker and he assured me my vote would count. Including the walk to and from the polling place, the whole ordeal took fifteen minutes max. I was expecting to wait two hours amid chaos like I did two years ago, feeling like I was making some great sacrifice to be a part of history. This was a bit of a let-down. -- Jessica Centers

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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