It’s primary day in Colorado, and ballots continue to trickle in for Montezuma County.

Three heated races are on the ballot for this primary: U.S. Congressional District 3, U.S. Senate and two Montezuma County commissioner seats.

As of 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, 7,512 ballots had been accepted by the Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, according to Miranda Warren, election supervisor. More were returned – 7,974, to be exact – but ballots are rejected if they lack a signature, Warren said.

A little more than 16,000 ballots were sent out, and voters have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to return them.

So far, the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t seemed to disrupt the election process, Warren said. However, people have been using the drop boxes with greater frequency.

For the commissioners race, the seats for District 2, representing the Cortez area, and District 3, representing the Mancos area, are being contested by four Republican candidates. In District 2, Kent Lindsay and Danny Wilkin are running to replace Commissioner Keenan Ertel, while in District 3, Monty Guiles and Joel “Joe” Stevenson are vying to replace Commissioner Larry Don Suckla.

Both Ertel and Suckla are term-limited and cannot run for another term.

No Democrats are running for the commissioners’ seats this year. If an unaffiliated candidate wishes to petition onto the November ballot, they would need to turn in a completed petition by July 9 — if none do, the results of the Republican primary election will determine the next Montezuma County commissioners.

For the U.S. Congressional District 3 election, Republican voters will choose between incumbent Rep. Scott Tipton and newcomer Lauren Boebert, while Democrats can vote for either James Iacino or Diane E. Mitsch Bush. The winners will then face off in the November general election.

And U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner has no Republican challengers, but in November he will face the winner of today’s Democratic primary election — either Andrew Romanoff or John W. Hickenlooper.

Ballots must be received by the Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office by 7 p.m. Drop-off boxes are located at:

Montezuma Clerk and Recorder, 140 W. Main St., Cortez.Dolores Town Hall, 420 Central Ave.Mancos Town Hall, 117 N. Main St.Ute Mountain Tribal Complex building, 124 Mike Wash Rd., Towaoc.

ealvero@the-journal.com

Montezuma Clerk and Recorder, 140 W. Main St., Cortez.Dolores Town Hall, 420 Central Ave.Mancos Town Hall, 117 N. Main St.Ute Mountain Tribal Complex building, 124 Mike Wash Rd., Towaoc.