El Paso County voters are mad for mail-in ballots. As of Friday, 101,044 people had requested a mail ballot for the Nov. 4 election. That’s a 56 percent increase from 2004, when 64,934 people requested them.

Mail ballot requests this year are even higher than in 2001, when the county held an election using only mail ballots. Most people who request the ballots return them, said county Election Manager Liz Olson.

But those voting by mail should note they’re committed to voting that way. Someone who received a mail ballot who shows up at a poll on Election Day will have to use a provisional ballot, which officials check after the election to determine whether it should be counted.

Oct. 28 is the last day to mail a request to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office for a mail ballot. An application is available online at http://car.elpasoco.com/election.

The election ballot is the longest in El Paso County history, Olson said. Election officials encourage poll voters to study the ballot beforehand so they can vote quickly.

The number of registered voters in El Paso County also has risen. As of Friday, 354,198 people were registered. Even with several weeks before the election, that’s up from 354,059 who were registered in 2004. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 6.

Backing Bidlack

Long-time Springs resident and GOP supporter MaryLou Vaughn held a house party Friday for Hal Bidlack, Democratic candidate in the 5th Congressional District. Vaughn is a three term president of the Colorado Springs Business & Professional Republican Women and served 18 years as a precinct chair.

What’s in a name?

Sarah Palin has picked out an All-American set of names for her children, says the Polit Tsk Tsk Tsk blog. There’s Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow, and Piper.

If you wonder what your name would be if Sarah Palin was your mom, you can find out.

Go to the blog at http://politsk.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah_13.html.

Three Gazette reporters’ names are Shaver Razorback Palin, Chisel Dustup Palin and Snooker Hinge Palin.

A reminder

Doug Lamborn, Republican seeking a second term in the 5th Congressional District, released a list of endorsements.

They include Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, Concerned Women for America, Family Research Council Action, Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, National Federation of Independent Business, National Rifle Association, National Right to Life, Networking in Christ, Republicans for Life and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Dressing up

Impersonators will take on the issues of the day from a 200-year-old perspective.

People posing as Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin will discuss the state of affairs today and question Senate and congressional candidates from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 2. at the Pikes Peak Center. Cosponsors include the Colorado Springs Independent. For information, go to http://www.prosperousamerica.org/

Send items to pam.zubeck@gazettedev.gazette.com

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