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DILLON — It’s hard to find a more fervent supporter of Barack Obama in Summit County than Chamonix Adams Porter, who organized phone-bank volunteers at the candidate’s local office and is planning to attend his inauguration in January.
And to think: At 15, she’s far too young to vote.
Adams Porter was among of a phalanx of young activists locally and across the country who helped get out the vote for Obama these past few weeks, injecting tireless energy and wide-eyed enthusiasm into the campaign.
“It’s almost a cliche about how Obama has motivated young poeple,” said Peter True, organizer of Obama’s office in Summit County and, at 22, not exactly a grizzled veteran himself. “These volunteers, it’s like they’re working part-time jobs, 10-20 hours a week.”
Michelle Maddex and Alyssa Fisher, both 17, canvassed voters, made phone calls, organized volunteers and sat at the polls to help Obama.
“We weren’t able to vote,” so they volunteered their time, Fisher said.
The young activists enjoyed the raucous celebrations of an estimated 150 people at the Democratic headquarters in Dillon Tuesday night, even if they weren’t able to imbibe in the champagne.
The blue tide that swept over much of the nation with Obama’s win also splashed high into Summit County, where a heavy voter turnout strongly supported Democrats up and down the ballot.
It was hard to find McCain supporters Tuesday afternoon at Summit Cove elementary, and Hispanic-Americans leaving the voting booths at Dillon Town Hall were nearly unanimous in their support for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Informal exit polling at the two sites and at the Starbucks coffee shop in Dillon suggested Obama would coast to victory by a wide margin in Summit County. Of about 25 voters questioned, only seven said they favored the Republican ticket.
“It’s an easy choice this time,” said Constanza Mendoza, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who became an American citizen 21 years ago. “We need to have some new ideas. It's a hard time right now and we have to find a different way.”
“My mom's nearly blind and she's on disability. I'm voting Democratic because they tend to be more in favor of helping people,” said 21-year-old Colin Smith, trying to vote in his first national election.
Smith was turned away at the Dillon voting center because he only had a Pennsylvania driver's license as identification. Smith said he would walk home to pick up one of his pay stubs from A Cut Above Forestry, where he worked for the summer spraying trees to protect them from pine beetles.
Smith said he was still puzzling over some of the local choices, but expected to vote mostly for Democrats, with the possible exception of Ali Hasan in the race for a State House seat against incumbent Democrat Christine Scanlan.
“I've seen him everywhere. He seems really energetic and like he has some good ideas for our area,” Smith said of the Republican candidate from Eagle County.
On the other side of the political coin, retiree Gabe Brewer said he was worried about the economy. McCain would do a better job of cutting the budget and getting government expenses under control, Brewer said, stirring a cup of coffee handed out for free by Starbucks to anyone who voted in the 2008 election.
“I don't think we can spend our way out of this hole,” Brewer said. “I trust McCain to be independent. I think the Democrats are going to try and throw money at every special interest group out there,” he said.
Around the county, voting progressed smoothly, with only a few minor technical glitches in Frisco and Dillon. By 11 a.m., more than 85 percent of votes had already been cast at local precincts.
Precincts had 1,600 voters come through by the time lunch had arrived for most, which added to the approximately 5,000 early voters and 7,000 mail-in ballots received before election day.
“Everything is going real smooth and we should have everything ready, waiting for precinct cards at 7,” said Cheri Brunvand, Summit County clerk and recorder.
The only polling centers to have problems in the morning were Frisco at the Summit County Community and Senior Center and Dillon at Dillon Town Hall.
The precincts experienced computer problems logging in during the morning rush, according to Kathy Neel, Summit County’s election administrator. When polls opened at 7 a.m. there was about a half hour wait, but lines settled to a slower, steady stream.
Voters were lined up to vote at Summit Cove elementary before the polls opened, but the queue quickly vanished, said Terri Golden, one of the poll workers at the precinct.
“Voters are prepared. A lot of them have their cheat sheets. I'd say they're spending only 10 to 12 minutes on average, even though the ballot is big,” Golden said, referring to Colorado's extensive slate of referendums and initiatives.
And to think: At 15, she’s far too young to vote.
Adams Porter was among of a phalanx of young activists locally and across the country who helped get out the vote for Obama these past few weeks, injecting tireless energy and wide-eyed enthusiasm into the campaign.
“It’s almost a cliche about how Obama has motivated young poeple,” said Peter True, organizer of Obama’s office in Summit County and, at 22, not exactly a grizzled veteran himself. “These volunteers, it’s like they’re working part-time jobs, 10-20 hours a week.”
Michelle Maddex and Alyssa Fisher, both 17, canvassed voters, made phone calls, organized volunteers and sat at the polls to help Obama.
“We weren’t able to vote,” so they volunteered their time, Fisher said.
The young activists enjoyed the raucous celebrations of an estimated 150 people at the Democratic headquarters in Dillon Tuesday night, even if they weren’t able to imbibe in the champagne.
The blue tide that swept over much of the nation with Obama’s win also splashed high into Summit County, where a heavy voter turnout strongly supported Democrats up and down the ballot.
It was hard to find McCain supporters Tuesday afternoon at Summit Cove elementary, and Hispanic-Americans leaving the voting booths at Dillon Town Hall were nearly unanimous in their support for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Informal exit polling at the two sites and at the Starbucks coffee shop in Dillon suggested Obama would coast to victory by a wide margin in Summit County. Of about 25 voters questioned, only seven said they favored the Republican ticket.
“It’s an easy choice this time,” said Constanza Mendoza, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who became an American citizen 21 years ago. “We need to have some new ideas. It's a hard time right now and we have to find a different way.”
“My mom's nearly blind and she's on disability. I'm voting Democratic because they tend to be more in favor of helping people,” said 21-year-old Colin Smith, trying to vote in his first national election.
Smith was turned away at the Dillon voting center because he only had a Pennsylvania driver's license as identification. Smith said he would walk home to pick up one of his pay stubs from A Cut Above Forestry, where he worked for the summer spraying trees to protect them from pine beetles.
Smith said he was still puzzling over some of the local choices, but expected to vote mostly for Democrats, with the possible exception of Ali Hasan in the race for a State House seat against incumbent Democrat Christine Scanlan.
“I've seen him everywhere. He seems really energetic and like he has some good ideas for our area,” Smith said of the Republican candidate from Eagle County.
On the other side of the political coin, retiree Gabe Brewer said he was worried about the economy. McCain would do a better job of cutting the budget and getting government expenses under control, Brewer said, stirring a cup of coffee handed out for free by Starbucks to anyone who voted in the 2008 election.
“I don't think we can spend our way out of this hole,” Brewer said. “I trust McCain to be independent. I think the Democrats are going to try and throw money at every special interest group out there,” he said.
Around the county, voting progressed smoothly, with only a few minor technical glitches in Frisco and Dillon. By 11 a.m., more than 85 percent of votes had already been cast at local precincts.
Precincts had 1,600 voters come through by the time lunch had arrived for most, which added to the approximately 5,000 early voters and 7,000 mail-in ballots received before election day.
“Everything is going real smooth and we should have everything ready, waiting for precinct cards at 7,” said Cheri Brunvand, Summit County clerk and recorder.
The only polling centers to have problems in the morning were Frisco at the Summit County Community and Senior Center and Dillon at Dillon Town Hall.
The precincts experienced computer problems logging in during the morning rush, according to Kathy Neel, Summit County’s election administrator. When polls opened at 7 a.m. there was about a half hour wait, but lines settled to a slower, steady stream.
Voters were lined up to vote at Summit Cove elementary before the polls opened, but the queue quickly vanished, said Terri Golden, one of the poll workers at the precinct.
“Voters are prepared. A lot of them have their cheat sheets. I'd say they're spending only 10 to 12 minutes on average, even though the ballot is big,” Golden said, referring to Colorado's extensive slate of referendums and initiatives.
