Steamboat Springs — The 2014 election was (almost) entirely mail in, and by the time Election Day dawned, nearly 75 percent of the 10,581 voters who would vote had made their choices and submitted their ballots.

Still, the morning and afternoon were busy with a steady stream filing into the Voter Service and Polling Center in Steamboat Springs, reporting lost ballots or ballots that never arrived in the mail.

None of that fazed Kay Weinland, Routt County clerk of 20 years.

“It went very smooth,” she said. “We had an awesome turnout, which I always love.”

This miderm election likely drew more Routt County voters than any such midterm election ever has.

The 10,581 votes counted Tuesday night were down from the 13,420 in 2012, a year bolstered by a presidential election. It was up compared to the 9,090 who cast ballots in 2010 and up compared to the 8,000 who voted in 2006 and the 7,650 who voted in 2002.

In 2002, the county voted heavily for Republicans in three major races.

Plenty has changed in Routt County, however, and this year, it continued a trend of heavily supporting Democrats, 53 to 41 percent in the U.S. Senate race between Mark Udall and Cory Gardner, 61 to 33 percent behind John Hickenlooper for governor and 56 to 41 percent to keep Diane Mitsch Bush as the local District 26 representative in the Colorado House.

There was one larger race that went against that tide — the fight for Colorado’s 3rd District for the U.S. House, as Republican incumbent Scott Tipton carried Routt for the first time in three tries.

There were also smaller races that went Republican, including Brita Horn for county treasurer and Rob Ryg for county coroner.

Weinland said none of those results meant a lot to her, at least not as the hours ticked away Tuesday night.

On Tuesday, it was about getting the work done.

Workers traded stories as they went into the night.

One year, a man showed up at 7:03 p.m. and was angry that he wasn’t allowed to vote.

Another year, the cops had to be called in a similar situation.

About 1 percent of ballots come in without a signature. The voter is notified by mail and has eight days to rectify the problem, but most never do.

One person a few elections ago, apparently with a bit too much old mail sitting around the house, submitted a ballot for the previous year’s election.

It was not counted.

Tuesday was a Steamboat election. With 30 minutes remaining before the 7 p.m. deadline, a cyclist glided up to the outside dropbox to deposit one vote. Two voters strolled in to vote 15 minutes ahead of the deadline with a dog at their side.

At 6:53 p.m., one of the final voters, panting, rushed through the door, and as the final moments ticked away — everything suddenly quiet and peaceful — election staffers debated whether they should lock up when their cellphones or their computers said 7 p.m.

The day’s final vote went to “computer.”

The fun wasn’t over. It took four more hours of tabulating for the county to publish its preliminary results, and work — potentially critical work, as at least one race is incredibly close — awaits Wednesday.

Weinland is retiring, and this was her final election. At 10:32 p.m., it was over.

“It’s bittersweet,” she said. “I’m relieved, but I have a lump in my throat.”

To reach Joel Reichenberger, call 970-871-4253, email jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @JReich9