Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day, and this is a critical election.  I strongly encourage you to vote in this election, if you are able to do so.

First, to vote in this upcoming November 8 election, you must be eligible to vote.

To be eligible to vote:

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • Citizens who are 16 and 17 years old may preregister to vote.
  • You must be 18 years old on the date of an election to be eligible to vote in any election.
  • You must have resided in Colorado 22 days immediately before the election in which you intend to vote. 
  • No person while serving a sentence of detention or confinement in a correctional facility, jail, or other location for a felony conviction is eligible to register to vote or to vote in any election. To learn more about voting and convictions, check here:  https://www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections/FAQs/VotingAndConviction.html

Learn more here:  https://clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/elections/who-can-vote/

Second, if you are eligible to vote, you must register to vote.  Registering to vote is easy, you can do it here:  www.GoVoteColorado.gov. 

Once you are registered to vote, your ballot will be mailed to you.  In order to have your ballot mailed to you before the Election Day November 8 deadline, you must be registered to vote by or before October 31.  After October 31, you can still register and vote, but you will need to do so at a Voter Service & Polling Center (VSPC).  Learn more here:  https://clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/elections/ballot-drop-boxes-vspc-locations/

See below for more information about VSPCs.

Once you have your ballot, you can return it via mail or drop of it off at any of the ballot drop boxes here in El Paso County.  Learn more here:  https://clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/elections/voting-returning-ballot/

If you want to return your ballot by mail, make sure you put two (2) stamps on the envelope, and get your ballot into the mail by or before October 31.  Any ballots mailed on November 1 or later may not make it back to the County Clerk by the November 8 election deadline, and therefore may not be counted. 

There are 39 secure 24-hour ballot drop box locations within El Paso County, including nine drop boxes within the boundaries of Senate District 11 and four other boxes near the district lines.  All drop boxes are open now, and will stay open until 7 PM on Election Day, November 8, when voting ends.

For the full list of drop box locations, check here:  https://assets-clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/wp-content/uploads/Elections/Documents/Current-2022-General-Election-VSPC-and-Mail-Ballot-Locations_.pdf

For an interactive map of drop box locations, check here:  https://batchgeo.com/map/17c16644abe2e2a0bf1bbabfbc1ded7b

For more information in general, check here:  https://clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/elections/ballot-drop-boxes-vspc-locations/

You can put your ballot into any of the drop boxes within El Paso County – you do not have to go to the ballot box nearest to where you live.  If there’s no ballot box close to your home, but there is one right across the street from where you work on the other side of town, then yes, you absolutely can drop your ballot into that box. 

The nine drop boxes located within Senate District 11 can be found here:

  1. Downtown / Centennial Hall  (200 S. Cascade Ave., Colo Spgs, CO 80903)
  2. Downtown / City of Colorado Springs Administration Building (30 S. Nevada Ave., Colo Spgs, CO 80903)
  3. Colorado Springs Senior Center (1514 N. Hancock Ave., Colo Spgs, CO 80903)
  4. Citadel Mall – North Side by Food Court Entrance (750 Citadel Dr. E., Colo Spgs, CO 80909
  5. Pikes Peak Regional Development Center (2880 International Cir, Colo Spgs, CO 80910)
  6. Leon Young Sports Complex – Parking Lot off of Alvarado Dr. across from Post Office (1335 S. Chelton Rd., Colo Spgs, CO 80910)
  7. Southeast Branch – EPC Clerk’s Office (5650 Industrial Pl., Colo Spgs, CO 80916)
  8. Braodmoor Towne Center at Southgate (2007 Southgate Rd., Colo Spgs, CO 80906)
  9. Widefield Water & Sanitation District (8495 Fontaine Blvd., Colo Spgs, CO 80925)

The three other boxes which are near Senate District 11 without being within the boundary lines of the district (so they may still be close to where you live or work) can be found here:

  1. Pikes Peak State College – Centennial Campus (5675 S. Academy Blvd., Colo Spgs, CO 80906)
  2. Security / Widefield Area – School District 3 Federal Credit Union (1180 Crawford Ave., Colo Spgs, CO 80911)
  3. First and Main – Westside of Dick’s Sporting Goods parking lot (New Center Point, Colo Spgs, CO 80922)

At many of these drop box locations, you don’t even have to get out of your car to be able to reach the box and drop in your ballot.  You can drive right up to the box and drop in your ballot.  At a few of the drop box locations, you will have to park and walk over the drop box. 

Check here for that information:  https://assets-clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/wp-content/uploads/Elections/Documents/Current-2022-General-Election-VSPC-and-Mail-Ballot-Locations_.pdf

If you don’t want to vote by mail or return you ballot by dropping it into a ballot drop box, you can vote in-person at any Voter Service & Polling Center (VSPC).  VSPCs will be available to register people to vote, update voter registration, request a replacement ballot, mark a ballot using an ADA accessible ballot marking device, or drop off a ballot.

There are 37 VSPCs located within El Paso County, including nine VSPCs within the boundaries of Senate District 11 and four other VSPCs near the district lines. 

Not all VSPCs are open all the time for voting in-person.  Different VSPCs have different hours of operation.  For the days and times of when the VSPCs will be open for in-person voting, check here:  https://assets-clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/wp-content/uploads/Elections/Documents/Current-2022-General-Election-VSPC-and-Mail-Ballot-Locations_.pdf

For an interactive map of all VSPC locations, check here:  https://batchgeo.com/map/724a7790612de69c5092b085cf9b3ff8

For more information in general, check here:  https://clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/elections/ballot-drop-boxes-vspc-locations/

The nine VSPCs located within Senate District 11 can be found here:

  1. Downtown / Centennial Hall (200 S. Cascade Ave., Colo Spgs, CO 80903)
  2. The Independence Center (729 S. Tejon St., Colo Spgs, CO 80903)
  3. Pikes Peak Regional Development Center (2880 International Cir., Colo Spgs, CO 80910)
  4. Ruth Holley Library (685 N. Murray Blvd., Colo Spgs, CO 80915)
  5. Southeast Branch – EPC Clerk’s Office (5650 Industrial Pl., Colo Spgs, CO 80916)
  6. Pikes Peak United Way Family Success Center (1520 Verde Dr., Colo Spgs, CO 80910)
  7. Sand Creek Library (1821 S. Academy Blvd., Colo Spgs, CO 80916)
  8. Zalman Center at Harrison High School (2755 Janitell Rd., Colo Spgs, CO 80906)
  9. Victory World Outreach (3150 S. Academy Blvd., Colo Spgs, CO 80916)

The four other VSPCs which are near Senate District 11 without being within the boundary lines of the district (so they may still be close to where you live or work) can be found here:

  1. Pikes Peak State College – Centennial Campus (5675 S. Academy Blvd., Colo Spgs, CO 80906)
  2. Sunnyside Christian Church (2025 N. Murray Blvd., Colo Spgs, CO 80915)
  3. Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley (4945 Cable Ln., Colo Spgs, CO 80911)
  4. First Baptist Church of Peaceful Valley (7925 Fontaine Blvd., Colo Spgs, CO 80925)

Remember: Not all VSPCs are open at all times.  Some may be open already, some may not be open yet.  They may open only when we get closer to Election Day, November 8.  For the days and times of when the VSPCs will be open for in-person voting, check here:  https://assets-clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/wp-content/uploads/Elections/Documents/Current-2022-General-Election-VSPC-and-Mail-Ballot-Locations_.pdf

If you have any questions, or need more help with voting information, please reach out to the Elections Department of the El Paso County Clerk’s Office.  Call: (719) 575-VOTE (8683).  Email: elections@elpasoco.com  Or visit their main office branch: 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd., Colo Spgs, CO 80907.