Standing Room Only
Long Lines, Confusion & Caucusing. Democracy Is Alive & Well
Photos and story by Willy Wilson, Special to the GPHN
Voter turnout of Colorado’s March 2 Democratic caucus was much higher than planners expected. One poll worker estimated 2-3 times more people than planned and more than in 2008.
At the Smiley Campus in Park Hill, voters waited in lines outside around the block of the Smiley campus – on both sides up 26th and 25th streets. Space in the front entryway became so cramped that workers began to manage the flow of people into the building while voters registered. Voters were left to use their mobile devices to find their precinct numbers.
Inside, poll workers ran out of wristbands to identify verified voters and began marking precinct number on hands in pen. When voters adjourned to their caucus locations, most rooms were overcrowded and standing room only. Few considerations seem to have been made for elderly or disabled voters who had to get themselves to the second floor of a building with one tiny elevator. Many caucus groups had to be split into smaller subsets and moved into the hallways.
At the end of the night, Bernie Sanders drew 54.3 percent support over Hillary Clinton’s 44.9 percent among Denver County Dems (with the remainder uncommitted). Statewide, the Sanders gap was even wider, with nearly 59 percent behind Sanders, compared to a little more than 40 percent for Clinton.
Willy Wilson is an award-winning photographer and business owner who lives in Park Hill. To see more of her work, check out http://www.lifeunstill.com.