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.
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.