While Colorado’s 2014 election was primarily about the candidates and initiatives on the ballot, it was also a test of the state’s all-mail ballot and vote center system. Our verdict: It was a success. Not only did Colorado buck a national trend of declining voter participation compared to the 2010 midterm election, there were no scandals involving voter fraud, which was a concern expressed by critics of mail balloting. This year, roughly 2 million voters cast ballots, an increase over the 1.8 million in 2010. That’s a significant increase in participation. Of course, the number of registered voters increased by more than 350,000 during that time, too.
Also, it’s difficult to give exact weight to other factors in turnout, such as the closeness of the contests and the success of get-out-the-vote efforts.
But even among states with high-interest races, Colorado fared well in turnout.
According to preliminary estimates by Michael P. McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida, Colorado had the fourth-highest voter turnout in the nation.
Full Article: A vote of confidence for mail elections in Colorado – The Denver Post.