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MSI VOTE - Colorado Findings

This map shows all polling sites in Colorado for the 2016 election (as provided by the State Board of Elections), and compares them with all postsecondary institutions in Colorado according to 2015 data from NCES IPEDS.

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When one examines the MSIs in this format, they may track the distance it is from each institution to a polling place. The table below demonstrates these differences.

Institution    Distance to nearest polling site
Adams State University    More than 1.5 miles away
Aims Community College    Unavailable due to numerous campus locations.
Colorado Heights University    More than 1.5 miles away
Colorado State University – Pueblo    More than 1 mile away
Community College of Denver    Unavailable due to numerous campus locations.
Fort Lewis Colorado    More than 1 mile away
Otero Junior College    More than 1 mile away
Pueblo Community College    More than .5 miles away
Trinidad State Junior College    More than .5 miles away

In addition to this data, below is the difference between Presidential voting in election years 2012 and 2016, based on the county in which the institution is located.

Institution    County    2012 Total Vote Difference Between Presidential Candidates    2016 Total Vote Difference Between Presidential Candidates
Adams State University    Alamosa    1,089    143
Aims Community College    Weld    14,932    30,132
Colorado Heights University    Denver    140,004    181,861
Colorado State University – Pueblo    Pueblo    9,601    390
Community College of Denver    Denver    140,004    181,861
Fort Lewis College    La Plata    2,509    2,938
Otero Junior College    Otero    749    1,985
Pueblo Community College    Pueblo    9,601    390
Trinidad State Junior College    Las Animas    177    1,060

By utilizing 2016 total student enrollment numbers from the NCES IPEDS database, one may estimate the impact that these institutions may have in their respective county.

As demonstrated in the table below, some institutions’ total student enrollment numbers well-exceed what could be the vote difference in their respective county.

Institution    Total Vote Difference in 2012 (in County)    Total Vote Difference in 2016 (in County)    Total Number of Students Enrolled at Given MSI
Adams State University    1,089    143    3,404
Colorado State University – Pueblo    9,601    390    7,563
Fort Lewis College    2,509    2,938    3,707
Otero Junior College    749    1,985    1,410
Pueblo Community College    9,601    390    6,718
Trinidad State Junior College    177    1,060    1,791
Of these six institutions, none of them had a polling site on campus, and four of them had a nearest polling site of over a mile away.

However, as many of these students likely voted in the previous election, do recognize that these numbers are only meant to portray the relative size of the institution so that one may understand the impact these institutions can make.

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