The voters had spoken. The issues were decided and the local TV stations promptly went into network programming at 7 p.m., promising to feature the incoming results at the bottom of their screens. It’s November sweeps, after all.

The winners and losers were first featured on the station’s Web sites, graphics at the bottom of the screen, or in Facebook and Twitter messages. Colorado Springs ballot issue 2C goes down in defeat by a 2 to 1 margin. Issue 300 wins 55 percent to 45 percent. Those results were available right after the polls closed at 7 p.m.

7:08 p.m.: First results from the KOAA Web site, then the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder Web site and subsequently the KXRM Fox 21 Web site, which linked to the county.

7:08 p.m.: El Paso County Web site shows 100 percent of precincts reporting but at 7:40 pm KKTV breaks in with Lauri Martin reporting that although the El Paso county election Web site reported that all the results were in, in fact 15,000 ballots were still being counted, the ones that had arrived after the polls had closed in Centennial Hall and from the branch offices.

First on the screen with graphics showing some of the election results was KOAA. Last was KKTV.

The station’s Web sites showed close to final figures but the number of precincts reported varied from 2 of 2 precincts on KRDO’s Web site to 76 percent at KOAA and 90 percent on KKTV’s Web sites.

7:16 p.m.- The Gazette was reporting that the property tax hike was crushed and that issue 300 was winning handily.

By 7:30 p.m. TV Web sites and on screen graphics showed the defeat of 2C and issue 300 winning by 10 percentage points.

First on Facebook and Twitter: KOAA and KKTV, with information shortly after 7 p.m. with KOAA announcing final Facebook election results for 2C and issue 300 by 8:05 p.m.

FOX 21 interviewed both sides in the 2C property tax hike issue at the top of their 9 p.m. newscast, but there were no comments from any side of issue 300. “Colorado Springs voters usually vote down tax increases,” said reporter Brittany Hopper as she interviewed councilwoman Jan Martin, sponsor of 2C. (except, of course,  the PRTA tax for transportation infrastructure, the public safety sales tax increase and the Tops-Trails and Open Space tax.) KXRM kept the crawl running during the hour-long newscast showing the winners and losers. They had a chance to be the first word on other election contests, with more live interviews and reactions to various races but chose to run through the hour-long format as they would on any other night.

The 10 p.m. newscasts featured interviews with Jan Martin, sponsor of 2C and Andy McElhany on the “no” side. The stations  interviewed issue 300 sponsor Douglas Bruce (who is usually nowhere to be found if his cause loses). Then they headed to Pueblo for coverage on the mayoral form of government vote and other issues. Jeannette Hynes reported from Canon City on the loss of the public safety tax vote there for KOAA.

Coverage of numerous school board races followed along with important issues around the state.

For someone who wanted instant results right after the polls closed, all local stations did a good job of posting the information on their Web sites and graphically showing the winners and losers at the bottom of their screens. The Internet is increasingly being used in severe weather situations, for listing numerous closings and delays, and other instances like elections, when a lot of information needs to get to viewers, according to Michael Sipes, KRDO news director.

Election coverage usually brings out the best and not-so-great efforts from reporters and anchors, who have to ad lib when graphics go awry or live shots go down. From the coverage I saw, there were surprisingly fewer glitches on a hectic election night than on some regular nightly newscasts.

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