To drop off a ballot in Colorado Springs, seal your voted ballot in the return envelope, sign and date the affirmation on the outside, and deliver it to any El Paso County 24-hour drop box or Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC) by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.1Colorado Secretary of State. Mail-in Ballots FAQs Every active, registered Colorado voter is mailed a ballot automatically, so no request or excuse is needed.2El Paso County Clerk and Recorder. Voting and Returning My Ballot Postmarks do not count in Colorado, which is why using a drop box beats the mail once the election is close.
Where to Drop Off Your Ballot
El Paso County operates multiple 24-hour drop boxes and staffed VSPCs across Colorado Springs. The specific sites and addresses can change between elections, so verify before you go. The most reliable list is the Colorado Secretary of State’s Voter Information Portal: enter your registered address and you will see the drop boxes and voting centers nearest you.3Colorado Secretary of State. Voter Information Project The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s office publishes the same information and can answer questions directly.
Drop boxes are heavy steel containers bolted to the ground and monitored by video around the clock. A bipartisan team of election judges collects the ballots regularly and takes them to the county’s central processing location.1Colorado Secretary of State. Mail-in Ballots FAQs Most boxes are positioned for both drive-up and walk-up access, so you can deposit your ballot without leaving the car.
What to Do Before You Drop It Off
You need two things at the box: your completed ballot and the official return envelope that came with it. Put the voted ballot inside the envelope, seal it, and sign and date the affirmation printed on the outside.1Colorado Secretary of State. Mail-in Ballots FAQs That affirmation is a statement under penalty of perjury that you are the voter the ballot was issued to, that you are a U.S. citizen and Colorado resident, and that this is the only ballot you have voted in this election.4FindLaw. Colorado Code 1-7.5-107 – Procedures for Conducting Mail Ballot Election The signature is how election officials verify your identity. Skip it and your ballot will not be counted.
One extra step applies to a narrow group: if you registered for the first time by mail and have not yet voted in a federal election in Colorado, you may need to include a copy of your ID with your ballot. Instructions arrive in the ballot packet.1Colorado Secretary of State. Mail-in Ballots FAQs
If your ballot or return envelope is damaged or missing, contact the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s office or walk into any VSPC in the county for a replacement.1Colorado Secretary of State. Mail-in Ballots FAQs
The Deadline
Your ballot must be in the hands of the county clerk by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks are not counted, so a ballot mailed on Election Day will not make it.5Colorado Secretary of State. Election Day FAQs If you are still planning to use the mail, USPS recommends sending it at least a week before the deadline.6United States Postal Service. Election Mail Any later than that, use a drop box or VSPC.
Missed the mail-registration window? Colorado allows same-day registration at any VSPC in your county through Election Day itself, but you will need to vote in person at the center rather than have a ballot mailed to you.7Colorado Secretary of State. Voter Registration FAQs
Can Someone Else Drop Off Your Ballot?
Yes. If you cannot make it to a drop box, Colorado law lets another person return your sealed, signed ballot on your behalf. Any individual may return up to nine voted ballots per election in addition to their own. The ballot still needs to be signed by you and sealed in your return envelope before you hand it over.
Voter Service and Polling Centers
A VSPC is a staffed location, so it does more than accept a sealed envelope. Services typically include:
- Ballot drop-off directly to an election judge
- Same-day registration and updates to your address, name, or party affiliation
- Replacement ballots if yours was damaged, lost, or never arrived
- In-person voting if you prefer not to use your mailed ballot
- Accessible ballot-marking devices for voters with disabilities
- Language assistance in covered minority languages where available
Unlike the 24-hour drop boxes, VSPCs run on set business hours that expand as Election Day approaches. Check the El Paso County Clerk’s website or the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Portal for current hours before heading out.3Colorado Secretary of State. Voter Information Project
Tracking Your Ballot and Fixing a Signature Problem
BallotTrax, a free service from the Colorado Secretary of State, sends notifications by phone, email, or text when your ballot is mailed, when the county receives it back, and when it is counted.8Colorado Secretary of State. BallotTrax FAQs You can sign up or adjust preferences at the voter portal, or just log in to check status manually.9Colorado Secretary of State. BallotTrax
Once your ballot arrives, an election judge compares the signature on your envelope to the one on file in the statewide voter registration system. If that judge thinks the signatures do not match, two more judges from different political parties review them at the same time. The ballot is only flagged if both of those judges also agree the signatures do not match; if they disagree, the signatures are deemed to match and the ballot is counted. Judges cannot reject a signature just because you used initials or a common nickname.10FindLaw. Colorado Code 1-7.5-107.3
A flagged signature does not mean a rejected ballot. The county clerk sends you a letter, plus an email if one is on file, explaining the issue and enclosing a confirmation form. You have until eight days after Election Day to return that form with a copy of your ID. Do it in time and, if the ballot is otherwise valid, it counts.10FindLaw. Colorado Code 1-7.5-107.3 BallotTrax is how you find out early enough to use that cure window.
Accessibility at Drop Boxes
Federal ADA standards apply to fixed ballot drop boxes. The slot or handle must sit between 15 and 48 inches above the ground, and the area in front of the box must offer at least 30 by 48 inches of clear, level space on a firm, slip-resistant surface. The handle has to work with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting. Grass, gravel, and grated surfaces with openings wider than half an inch do not qualify.11ADA.gov. Ballot Drop Box Accessibility If a particular drop box is not usable for you, a staffed VSPC or having someone else return the ballot are both workable alternatives.