Saying they’d prefer having residents vote at the polls, El Paso County commissioners voted reluctantly Monday to conduct the off-year election in November entirely by mail.

Voting at polls has drawn a higher turnout, but the commissioners said their hands were tied by the lack of money – mail ballots will save the county nearly a quarter of a million dollars, according to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

“I absolutely prefer a polling-place election,” Commissioner Amy Lathen said. “But we’re in a situation where we have not been left many choices. I don’t like it, but it’s a choice we had to make.”

Faced with declining revenues as the economy slumps, the county has cut about 180 jobs and hours of operation of county offices to save money.

The county conducted elections entirely by mail in 2001 and 2007. State law allows mail-ballot elections in odd years when ballots usually contain fewer issues and candidates than on even-year elections. Turnouts in 2001 and 2007 were 31 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

The 2007 election was particularly low, because only school board candidates were running, election manager Liz Olson said.

“In 2007, there wasn’t interest,” she said. “Some people didn’t have anything to vote on.”

Even year elections normally draw more voters, because that’s when national, state and local officials are elected. Those elections are conducted at polling places, which means people can vote by mail, vote early at designated sites or vote on Election Day at the polls.

This year, Olson expects a light ballot. No federal, state or county offices will be decided, and the city of Colorado Springs council members will be elected in the April city election.

Olson said a mail ballot is estimated to cost $532,230. Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters.

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