It’s finally Election Day – and the stakes are high, with control of the U.S. Senate in the balance, possibly teetering on whether Sen. Mark Udall can stave off GOP challenger Rep. Cory Gardner.

Colorado voters have the chance to elect a new governor, Republican Bob Beauprez, or stick with incumbent John Hickenlooper.

Locally, the races are tight. The contest for La Plata County sheriff between five-times elected Duke Schirard and Deputy Sean Smith has been one of the hardest fought this election; meanwhile, Democrat Mike McLachlan is in an epic rematch with Republican J. Paul Brown for Colorado House District 59.

The La Plata County commissioner’s race, too, is tense. If Cynthia Roebuck defeats Republican opponent Brad Blake, all three of commissioners will be Democrats and – in what may be a historic first – women.

If you are one of the thousands of people in La Plata County who has not yet cast your ballot or registered to vote, it’s not too late. You can still register and turn in your ballot today at one of three election service locations or drop off your ballot at one of five locations before 7 p.m.

Tiffany Parker, La Plata County clerk and recorder, said it is too late for people to mail their ballots now. To repeat: If you want to vote, you must drop your ballot off in person.

Parker said she was so busy Monday, she’d struggled to return calls.

“Today has been wonderful as far as voter turnout. So many people have been coming in voting in person. But I’m worried that people still are thinking they’re going to vote at their precincts Tuesday. There are no polling stations, just the service centers,” she said.

By Monday afternoon, Parker said she’d received 17,000 ballots by mail, and more than 500 people had cast votes in person. She hadn’t yet counted ballots in drop boxes.

As of Monday morning, 16,522 voters in La Plata County had cast ballots. Among voters registered with a party, Republicans claimed an edge, with 6,138 registered Republicans voting compared to 5,837 registered Democrats.

But the election will come down to unaffiliated voters, here and across the state. As of Monday morning in La Plata County, 4,324 unaffiliated voters had cast ballots.

Statewide, 1,379,962 Coloradans had voted as of Monday morning, including 446,448 registered Democrats, 558,966 registered Republicans, and 359,496 people who are affiliated with neither party.

Parker said anyone who wants to vote – or still needs to register to vote – should go to one of three election service locations that will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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Where to vote, drop off ballots

It’s not too late to register to vote or to cast your ballot, but it is too late to mail ballots. Here’s locations open Election Day for procrastinators:
In Durango, you can register to vote and cast your ballot at either the La Plata County Clerk & Recorder’s Office, which is at 98 Everett St. Suite C, in Bodo Industrial Park, or to the La Plata County Fairgrounds, at 2500 Main Ave.; in Bayfield, you can go to the Bayfield Town Hall, at 1199 Bayfield Parkway.
Or you can cast your filled-out ballot at one of two drop-off locations; in Ignacio, you can go to Ignacio Town Hall, at 540 Goddard Ave., and in Durango, you can go to La Plata County Courthouse, 1060 East Second Ave.
The Bayfield Town Hall drop box and La Plata County Clerk & Recorder drop box are open 24 hours, so if you’re facing an early-morning shift and a hectic day at work, go there and drop off your filled-out ballot.