It’s been three weeks since the presidential election, and voter turnout in Garfield County showed a noticeable dip compared to 2020. While more ballots were sent out in this year’s election, fewer were returned. 

In 2020, 85.41% of ballots were returned, totaling 31,245 of 36,582. This year, 79.33% were returned, with 30,769 of 38,786 ballots cast, according to the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder’s office.

Democratic support saw a slight decrease as Kamala Harris and Tim Walz received 15,128 votes, down from the 15,427 votes for President Joe Biden and Harris in 2020. Republican support also dipped, with Donald Trump and J.D. Vance earning 14,493 votes compared to the 14,717 votes Trump and Mike Pence received four years ago.

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Garfield County continued its trend of favoring Republicans in local races. Perry Will defeated Caitlin Carey for a commissioner seat by a vote of 15,731 to 13,790. Mike Samson retained his seat, narrowly beating Steven Auraza 15,001 to 14,229. Similarly, Republican Caleb Waller carried Garfield County in the House District 57 race, earning 14,891 votes to incumbent Elizabeth Velasco’s 14,308. However, Velasco’s support in Pitkin and Eagle counties secured her reelection.

Garfield County Democratic Party Chair Debbie Bruell reflected on the challenges the party faced this year, citing a lack of voter engagement among some Democratic supporters.

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“I think Democrats could have done a better job putting out the threat of what Trump means,” Bruell said. “I think people thought, ‘Oh, I know he said he’d do those things, but he can’t really do those things.’ People weren’t aware of what it really meant, and there was a lot of misinformation out there.”

Bruell also attributed the drop in turnout to broader challenges.

“We were up against the same national and global forces that kept people home,” Bruell said. “I think those forces were just a lot bigger than we realized.”

On the Republican side, Garfield County Republicans Secretary Stefanie Davis noted the effort put into local campaigns but acknowledged lower voter engagement.

“I did come across some people who weren’t sure if they wanted to turn out,” Davis said. “They seemed a little apathetic or confused with all the amendments and propositions. It might have felt daunting.”

Despite these challenges, Davis highlighted the energy of local Republican candidates as a driving force in their success.

“Our local candidates were very active and had a presence at parades and events,” Davis said. “There’s something about seeing the candidate or feeling that energy that makes people more motivated.”

Both parties expressed pride in their candidates and campaigns. Bruell emphasized the importance of making voters aware of Republican officials’ records, while Davis focused on building momentum.

“Our commissioners talk about addressing affordable housing but refuse public dollars to actually tackle it,” Bruell said. “We need to make sure voters know what opportunities they’ve missed.”

Davis added that keeping voters engaged early in the process is critical.

“I really believe in the process and people having their voices heard,” Davis said. “I still wonder why people think their vote doesn’t matter, because it does.”