With Election Day right around the corner, many deadlines for registration, early voting and in-person voting are fast approaching for Colorado citizens. While the state of Colorado is following a similar voting schedule as the rest of the nation, the process can still be incredibly confusing.
Options for voting in El Paso county:
You are able to register to vote online. The deadline to register online and still receive a ballot in the mail was Oct. 26. However, Colorado still has in-person voting available statewide.
According to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, El Paso citizens do not have to mail in their ballots if they receive one in the mail. “Once you vote in-person, your county clerk will not accept [it] for counting any ballot that was mailed to you,” Griswold said.
The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder also states that if eligible voters have not received their ballots by Oct. 19, “please contact the El Paso County Elections Department.” Their contact number is 719-575-8683.
However, U.S. citizens living in Colorado Springs are able to receive absentee ballots, if they do not wish to vote in-person. Due to COVID-19 and the fire bans putting stress on in-person voting, all eligible Colorado citizens will receive an absentee ballot in the form of a mail-in ballot.
Absentee ballots have the same deadlines as in-person voting. In order to have your vote counted, according to the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder, it needs to be returned by mail and postmarked on Nov. 3 before 7 p.m., or in-person on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at any polling center.
In Colorado, early voting dates run from Oct. 19 to Nov. 2.
Things to remember when registering to vote:
To register in Colorado, Colorado Springs citizens have the same requirements as many other states. You must be an American citizen, and in Colorado, a Colorado resident for at least 22 days before the election. Lastly, to vote in Colorado, you cannot be serving a sentence of detention or confinement for a felony conviction.
In Colorado, primary elections have different requirements. If you are a Colorado resident, and you are 17 years old and will be 18 years old before the next general election, you can vote in any primary election.
Where to drop off your ballot:
There are thousands of ballot drop-off locations across the state of Colorado, and many located in Colorado Springs.
The nearest to UCCS is the ballot drop-off box located in front of the University Center. If you are a student living off-campus, you can also drop off your ballot at East Library, Vanguard Church or the El Paso County Clerk Office.
Click here for more information and a map of all ballot drop-off locations in Colorado Springs.
Options for voting in-person in Colorado Springs:
When voting in-person, make sure to check the operating hours of the voting facility closest to you to ensure your vote gets counted.
Many polling centers offer Colorado residents the option to register to vote right then and there.
The polling centers closest to UCCS include the Ent Center for the Arts, East Library, Vanguard Church and Corpus Christi Parish Hall. Verify hours and locations online before voting in-person.
Photo by Lauren Rock.
Things to remember when voting in-person:
In the state of Colorado, if voting in-person, all eligible voters are required to show proper identification.
“Most voters find it convenient to bring their Colorado driver’s license or Colorado ID,” Griswold said. “If you show ID that has an address on it, the address must be in Colorado, but it does not have to match your voter registration.”
Other acceptable forms of identification include a valid ID card issued by the Department of Revenue; U.S. passport; employee ID with photo issued by any entity of the U.S. government or Colorado; U.S. military ID with photo; ID card issued by a federally recognized tribal government; Medicare or Medicaid card; certified copy of your U.S. birth certificate; or a student ID with photo issued by a Colorado institute of higher education.
In Colorado, all voters who vote in-person are required to provide the proper identification. The complete list of acceptable forms of identification in Colorado can be found here.