Two days out from the election, several El Paso County races remain too close to call as election judges continue to count ballots. 

With about 293,000 ballots counted, the county is sitting at 59% turnout for active voters. Initial results on election night took into account about 235,000 ballots, but Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker said his office has more than 100,000 to go. 

As snow rolled in Thursday, assistant clerk and recorder Kristi Ridlen said that election workers were offered hotels to avoid a snowy commute, though none have taken the offer yet.

“It does not appear, at this time, that accommodations will be needed,” she wrote in an email statement. 

Colorado voter turnout high in 2024, but lower than 2020

In preliminary results, Democrat Marc Snyder pulled ahead of Republican Stan VanderWerf for Senate District 12, covering parts of western El Paso County. Snyder has a three-point lead. 

The race for state representative for District 16 is similarly close, with Republican Rebecca Keltie and Democrat Steph Vigil within two points of each other. 

In Northern El Paso County, the race for Palmer Lake mayor has flipped in the preliminary results from challenger Shana Ball to incumbent Glant Havenar. The former held a lead of no more than a handful of votes since election day, but Havenar took a slight lead of no more than a point, constituting fewer than 50 votes. 

Monument is still waiting to see whether its ballot measure to change the town charter to allow a 5% lodging tax will pass or not. The No’s outweighed Yeses by about two points as of Thursday evening. 

The Thursday numbers have not moved the needle on Colorado Springs’ set of contradicting ballot measures on marijuana. With about 52 points, a charter ban on the sale of marijuana in the city remains a likely victory.

Another ballot question allowing existing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell recreational product is also a likely success with about 53.6 points, but the charter ban would cancel that measure. 

Ridlen said the Clerk and Recorder’s office would not have another ballot-count report until late Thursday evening. 

Live weather blog: Schools begin calling off Friday classes, roads remain closed