While many expect a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in November, that hasn’t dampened voter enthusiasm in El Paso County ahead of the Super Tuesday primary.

At the Citizens Service Center, a main El Paso County office building, voters were lined up in their cars to Garden of the Gods Road on Monday afternoon, Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker said. 

“A lot of folks are just fired up,” he said. 

Some voters may have also been waiting for a Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s eligibility in the Colorado primary, he said. Monday morning, the court ruled votes in Colorado for Trump will stand.  

Schleiker said he expects turnout in El Paso County to hit 50% outpacing participation in 2020 when almost 43% of the voters participated, he said, a trend conservatives are leading. 

“The Republicans are coming out in droves,” he said, noting they are outpacing unaffiliated participation.

As of Monday, about 117,000 El Paso County voters had returned their ballots, the second highest of any county, Secretary of State data showed. Jefferson County was still leading the way across the state with 120,800 ballots cast Monday. 

In El Paso County most voters, about 71,000, had cast a Republican primary ballot. About 29,000 Democratic ballots were cast and about 17,000 ballots were still in process, state data showed.

Voters still planning to weigh in on the presidential primary on Election Day need to return their ballots to a drop-box location or in-person. Residents can also register to vote on Election Day by visiting a voter service and polling center.  

Unaffiliated voters can only cast one of the ballots they receive. Voting both ballots invalidates them. 

A full list of the 39 drop box locations and 11 voter service centers is available at clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com.

A voter drops their ballot Monday at Centennial Hall where the El Paso County Clerk and Recorders Office set up a temporary drive-up station. The station kept voters from braving cold winds. Mary Shinn/The Gazette