DENVER -- Because of a record turnout and a historically-long state ballot, county clerks and commissioners from 15 counties joined Gov. Bill Ritter Wednesday to encourage Colorado voters to vote early and avoid long lines on Nov. 4.

Voters are encouraged to use the mail-in ballot or go to an early voting location.

At Wednesday's event on the steps of the state capitol, Ritter said Colorado is a swing state and it's important for every vote to be counted. He also said voting early will help get Colorado's voting results out early so "the nation won't be waiting for our results late into the night" or the following day.

During the last major election in 2006, some vote totals weren't known for days after the votes were cast.

This time around, Ritter said he expects the vote count to be completed election night, even though some clerks in major metropolitan areas have said they don't expect to be finished until the next morning.

Under Colorado law, people still in line at their polling place when the polls close must be allowed to vote. Those votes can't be counted until the final vote is cast.

After the horrendous lines in 2006, Douglas County election officials promise there will be no repeat.

"It wasn't a breakdown in the equipment, we simply didn't have the capacity," said Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Jack Arrowsmith.

Douglas County has more than quadrupled the number of voting machines from 300 to 1,400.

Denver took a different approach this year -- eliminating voting machines altogether to go to paper ballots.

"After the disasters of 2006, we eliminated the commission, we created an elected clerk and recorder because an election is like a battle. You need a general to call the shots," said Denver city councilwoman at large Carol Boigon.

Officials are also asking voters to study the ballot beforehand. This isn't just a presidential election but an election where there are 18 items on the statewide ballot.

"It's important that no matter how the voter chooses to vote, that they are prepared," said Arrowsmith.

Some counties, such as Boulder, have sample ballots online so that voters can familiarize themselves with the candidates and issues by reviewing their sample ballot before Election Day.

And despite touted improvements, if you vote on Election Day, be prepared to wait in line.

Officials are expecting record turnout at precincts and voting places. Coupled with a four-page ballot, and more than two million voters expected to participate, the lines to vote are not expected to move quickly.

Denver will have 13 locations throughout the city where citizens can vote between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. from Oct. 20 to Oct. 25 and from Oct. 27 to Oct. 31. (See those locations at DenverVotes.org.)

Paper ballots will be used in Denver, although at least one electronic touch-screen voting machine will be available at each voting location to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act.

Those who haven't registered yet have until Oct. 6.

Voters wanting a mail-in ballot have until Oct. 28 to make the request at their county clerk's office.