Update: Early votes for Montezuma County show cemetery and water district ballots losing

A voter pulls up in a car to submit his ballot about an hour before the 7 p.m. deadline Tuesday evening at a drop box behind the Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. (Benjamin Rubin/The Journal)
8,300 total votes counted, or 40% of registered voters as of 6:18 p.m. Wednesday evening

The unofficial report from the Colorado Secretary of State shows that 8,300 total ballots were cast in Montezuma County’s 2025 Coordinated Election as of 6:18 p.m. Wednesday.

Voters rejected two local ballot measures concerning the Cortez Cemetery and Montezuma County Water District No. 1, according to the latest round of results.

59.05% of voters opposed a proposed property tax increase to fund the Cortez Cemetery under Ballot Issue 6A, early unofficial results show. The measure would have generated more than $90,000 annually for the cemetery.

Ballot Issue 6B was also rejected, with 71.33% of voters opposing an uncapped property tax limit to reduce fees for Montezuma County Water District No. 1.

As a result, a property tax cap of 5.25% will remain in place, allowing the district to “collect, retain, and spend all revenues received, including taxes, grants, loans, and other sources, as a voter-approved revenue change exempt from TABOR and other legal limits.”

At about five minutes before the 7 p.m. Election Day deadline, judges were gathering ballots from a drop-off box behind the Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

A final handful of last-minute voters pulled up in cars to hand ballots to the judges and drive away.

“My wife will be very glad I dropped her ballot off,” said Dave Edwards, one of the final night’s voters.

This is a developing story that will be updated as more election results become available.