An electric night that began with Boulder County Democrats lining blocks to get into caucus sites turned ugly in many spots, as unexpectedly high turnout meant thousands of would-be caucus-goers were denied the chance to partake, despite spending hours in line.

Turnout vastly exceeded projections — and 2008 totals — at many of the party’s 22 Boulder County caucus supersites Tuesday night, including locations in Boulder, Longmont and Lafayette.

But while Bernie Sanders handily defeated Hillary Clinton in Colorado’s slice of the “Super Tuesday” spectacle, in Boulder County at least, the politics were largely overshadowed by the mess.

Though party officials and precinct leaders assured people waiting in line that everyone would get in, the crowds eventually were so overwhelming that many precincts already had met and selected delegates while long lines of people unwittingly waited patiently outside for a chance to be counted.

Lara Lee Hullinghorst, chair of the Boulder County Democratic Party, was floored by the party’s inability to accommodate all who’d hoped to be heard.

“What I would say for anyone turned away is that it just breaks my heart,” she said. “I can’t explain the sacrifices we’ve made to make this night work for people. Volunteers went to trainings, went to their sites early to scope them out, have tried to help as many people as possible vote. And if they’re having to turn people away, I can’t even imagine what they’re feeling right now.”

At the ends of these lines, the crowds expressed a mix of emotions: disappointment, disbelief and pride in their party’s high turnout.

Just before 1 a.m. Wednesday, the county Democratic Party announced that 23,568 votes were cast in Boulder County. It’s not known how many people were turned away, or gave up upon seeing Tuesday night’s long lines.

Of that total, Bernie Sanders received 17,275 votes to Hillary Clinton’s 6,265 votes in Boulder County.

‘I’m frustrated and I’m disappointed’

“I’m really excited at seeing how many people are here,” said Mary Kay Irving, who waited in line but did not get to caucus. “I was proud of Boulder in that regard, but I’m frustrated and I’m disappointed. We’re a country that’s based on hearing the voice of the people, so I would think that every effort would be made to hear the voice of every person.”

At some Democratic sites in Boulder, organizers delayed the caucuses by more than an hour, but started voting around 8 p.m. despite huge lines still outside.

“There are thousands of people out there,” Bruce Kawin said of the caucus site at Centennial Middle School in north Boulder, where hundreds were turned away. “I couldn’t get out of my car. There’s nowhere to park at all. There’s nowhere to park in 10 blocks in any direction. So I gave up.”

Angelique Espinoza, a candidate for Boulder’s House District 10, saw the crowds at Centennial, and said, “People will be disenfranchised.”

The scene was similar at Longmont’s Mountain View Elementary, where thousands of Democrats waited in line, some until at least 8 p.m.

“It was nuts,” said Longmont Democrat Martin Roth, adding that he arrived early at 6:15 p.m. and already there was no parking.

Roth said he was pleased with the level of interest in this year’s election, but worried that the long lines that stretched down the block from the elementary school might have discouraged some voters.

“I feel like probably a bunch of people were disenfranchised, driving up and seeing the number of people here, who knows how many people just kept on driving,” he said. “That worries me.”

‘Primary is just way easier’

Many who were turned away and many who were not expressed the common opinion that Colorado should switch from a caucus to a primary system next time around.

“The primary is just an easier way,” Sybil Zikmund said. “Everybody gets a vote. This is crazy.”

“I think if it’s important to the party to have a caucus instead of a primary, then they should make it easier to caucus and not have a back-up like this,” added Jordan Miller, a first-time voter at 22.

Hullinghorst acknowledged that Colorado Democrats might be better served by a primary election.

“I shouldn’t say that, but yes,” she said. “This is ludicrous, that there are people that can’t participate in the process.”

County party leaders had not gathered data Tuesday night on just how large the lines were at some of the more packed sites, including Boulder High School, Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Southern Hills Middle School in Boulder, and Mountain View Elementary in Longmont.

But, in a news release, the party said that countywide turnout exceeded the expected 15,000.

“The enthusiasm for the Democratic candidates was amazing,” said Morgan Young, vice chair of the county Democrats. “The county party executed everything as required both by statute and by party rules. The caucus process makes it difficult to anticipate how many people will participate. The party remains committed the keeping the caucus process as inclusive and democratic as possible.”

But more than an hour before registration opened at Boulder High School, the line to get in wound hundreds deep, and was being constantly replenished as volunteers worked to usher people into a packed auditorium that was standing-room-only, and could have been filled several times over.

Party officials walked hundreds of yards to the backs of lines to reassure attendees that everyone would get in. Warm evening weather and the electric air kept morale high for a period, even among those staring down long waits that would not be rewarded.

GOP skips presidential preference poll

While Democratic voters were still trying to get in the door at their caucus locations, Republicans were deep in conversation about their party’s presidential candidates.

As Democratic caucus-goers participated in a presidential preference poll, casting their ballots for either Clinton or eventual winner Sanders, the state Republican Party decided last year to cancel its traditional presidential preference poll, although some precincts — with a show of hands — conducted a non-binding, informal straw poll.

At Longmont’s Silver Creek High School, Republicans debated the merits and drawbacks of both Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

In one west Longmont precinct with 20 caucus-goers, the informal vote was nearly evenly split between Cruz and Marco Rubio, with Donald Trump earning just two nods.

Some Republican voters argued vehemently against Trump, saying that he wouldn’t be able to work collaboratively if elected because he has offended so many people.

“I would expect that our nation would see that he’s not the one to put in place,” said Longmont’s Lidwina Clements, who said she supports Cruz because she believes he will defend the U.S. Constitution.

Longmont resident Michael Pettigrew said if it came down to Cruz or Trump in the end, he’d vote for either man.

“It’s been some years since I’ve been to one of these, I thought I should see how they’re still working,” he said of the caucus process.

Alex Burness: 303-473-1389, burnessa@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/alex_burness