CARBONDALE -- Members of the Sopris Greens, a homespun chapter of the Green Party, are teaming up with local radio personalities in an attempt to deliver Carbondale's majority vote to presidential candidate Ralph Nader.

If this happens, the town could be one of just a handful in the nation that could be taken by Nader.

"That's the goal that was set out by two guys on the radio," said Mike Chamness, co-organizer of the Sopris Greens, a political issue committee.

"I would be surprised if he got less than 25 percent," said Scott Chaplin, the other co-organizer for the committee.

The two radio personalities are Jeff Dickinson and Bob Schultz. The pair hosts a radio program called "Chameleon and Merl" every Tuesday morning on Carbondale-based KDNK from 8:15 a.m. to 10 a.m. They've been urging townspeople to vote for Nader.

"We said, 'Let's see, wouldn't it be interesting if Carbondale went for Nader?'" Dickinson said. "And as it became more clear that Bush was going to take Colorado, the argument that a vote for Nader is a vote against Gore isn't there. Now it's if you vote for Gore, it's a wasted vote -- period."

The two disc jockeys came up with the idea after noticing the profusion of pro-Nader signs, buttons and bumper stickers around town and the lack of campaign materials for main party candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore.

"We've got a great opportunity to make a statement," Dickinson said. "Any time we put it out there we ask for people who are for Bush, Gore or Buchanan to call in and none do. Everybody who calls in calls for Nader."

During the last few weeks, Green Party supporters like Dickinson have been quick to point out that a vote for Nader is not a waste. But Gore appears to be gaining ground in Colorado. According to a poll released Thursday by The Denver Post, 9 News and 850 KOA News Radio, Gore has shaved the deficit by 5 percentage points, trailing the Texas governor by 4 points.

Prior to the poll's release, it was widely held Bush would take Colorado. Still, Dickinson said a vote for Gore could be the vote that is wasted. Chamness agreed.

"Whichever party gets the most popular vote gets all the electoral votes," Chamness said. "Gore pulled out his campaigners a couple of weeks ago because he already conceded the state.

Dean Myerson, regional field coordinator for Nader 2000, said party members have been working hard to get this message out to the voters.

"A lot of people need to be educated on how the system works," he said. "We really have 51 presidential elections, all the states and Washington, D.C. A vote for Gore is a wasted vote, but a vote for Nader sends a message.

"Ten percent for Nader in Colorado would send a message and 10 percent for Nader in the country would really send a message."

Other towns in the state that are reportedly leaning heavily toward the third-party candidate include Boulder, Durango, Cortez and Alamosa, Myerson said.

"In Ward, Nader actually won in 1996 without even campaigning here," Myerson said of this tiny town nestled in the foothills west of Boulder.

While Myerson said it would be great for Nader to prevail in some of these towns, capturing a respectable number of votes in the state as a whole is their main goal.

"Most of us aren't really concentrating on getting number goals, we're just doing the best we can."

As for these overall numbers in Colorado, Myerson said most of the polls show that 5 to 6 percent of likely voters plan to vote for Nader.