Polling locations throughout Denver opened up minutes after the sun began to shine across the city, which sent voters to the polls to have their voices heard.

Matthew Hayden arrived at Ball Arena shortly before noon dressed in red, white and blue and carried a pocket version of the United States Constitution in his back pocket to vote.  

Others like Kenly Fanning, a Regis University student, was given the opportunity to vote for the very first time on Tuesday. 

“I just wanted to vote in-person, because it just feels more right to do so on Election Day,” Hayden said outside of Ball Arena. “I think this is one of the most important elections in recent history as our country is terribly divided right now, and I hope that whoever ends up winning will start to bring us together.”

Seconds after the polls throughout the state closed, officials from the Secretary of State’s office said that 3,145,626 ballots were returned to a county clerk’s office, surpassing the number of Coloradans who voted in the 2016 election. 

“We were expecting turnout, maybe somewhere around 80% (of all Denver residents to vote prior to the election),” said Alton Dillard, the senior public information officer for the Denver Elections Division. 

James Dannahower, a Denver resident who had not voted in an election since 2012, said voting on Tuesday was not an option for him.

“We need to hand over the country to someone who cares about the environment,” Dannahower said. “It was very important for me to vote today, and I didn’t even think I was going to be able to until last night, when I received a phone call and they told me I could register and vote on the same day.”

Fanning, who is originally from Tennessee said there was some complications in receiving her mail-in ballots, which prompted her to seek assistance from the election judges inside McNichols building in downtown.

“I feel like it’s very important that everyone votes, but specifically for me, as a queer black woman … I feel that it’s my responsibility to be able to get out there and voice my opinion and play a part in the Democratic process,” Fanning said.

As a first time voter Fanning said she was surprised at how smooth and efficient her voting experience was, and was expecting long lines that her parents have witnessed in Tennessee.

“My mom just voted and said there was a line all around her city hall area, so for this to take only a couple of minutes was shocking to me,” Fanning said. 

Dillard said that as of 3 p.m. the longest line voters encountered was 10 minutes. 

“We have what we call a pandemic proof model,” Dillard said. 

“In our June 30, primary we drove in-person voting down to 1%, so that means a couple of thousand people city-wide voted in person over the course of an early-voting period, but for this election it’s closer to 2%, maybe a little over.”

Despite this year’s election not being the first for Iriana Coral, she said Tuesday’s Election Day felt stranger than in years past.

“It feels apocalyptic,” Coral said while dressed from head-to-toe in red, white and blue, and wearing a Colorado state flag mask outside of the McNichols building. “Even though there was so much uncertainty (in 2016) windows weren’t boarded up, there weren’t fences up everywhere and there definitely wasn’t as much unrest as there is now.” 

Regardless of the outcome of the 2020 Election, many of the people The Denver Gazette spoke to at various polling locations across Denver said showing up was their civic responsibility. 

“Election Day is sacred,” Coral said. “I enjoy really celebrating my part in my county and playing a vital role in our democracy.”