But increased interest from candidates hasn't translated into more voter participation, he said. Voters tend to find crowded races confusing and they don't have party labels, such as Democrat or Republican, to guide them because city elections are nonpartisan, he said. As of Tuesday, only 13.76% — or about 42,596 — of the 309,635 registered voters had returned a ballot, city clerks office data showed. In the last City Council district races, 31.7% of the active and registered voters in town participated. Vote Visit coloradosprings.gov/city-elections for a list of ballot drop-off locations and information on how to request a replacement ballot. City Clerk Sarah Johnson expected turnout to fall between 30% and 40% again. Although candidates could play a role in motivating residents to vote, she said.