Where Can I Drop Off My Ballot?
Where's My Polling Location? And Other Things You Need To Know Before Voting
UPDATED: 3:35 pm MDT August 9, 2010
DENVER -- Mid-terms elections are sometimes considered ho-hum.But not this year, The primaries are heating up, with several hotly contested statewide races.Here's a voter's guide that, we hope, will answer many of your questions. If you still have questions that aren't answered below, please e-mail us at newstips@theDenverChannel.com. Another excellent resource is the Secretary of State's Election Center -- Go Vote Colorado.com
Am I registered to vote? 
How long are polls open?
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- Go to the Secretary of State's website to find out if you're registered. If you are, it will tell you the exact location of your polling place in November. You can also call your County Clerk and Recorder's Office to verify your registration status.
- Many of the counties are only doing mail-in ballots. But a few also will have polling locations. The Secretary of State's website will tell you exactly where your polling location is, once you put in your name, zip code and birthdate.You can also find election information for each county by following the links below:
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Adams County
Arapahoe County
Boulder County
Broomfield County
Clear Creek County
Denver County
Douglas County
Eagle County
Elbert County
El Paso County
Jefferson County
Larimer County
Mesa County
Pitkin County
Pueblo County
Summit County
Weld County
How long are polls open? -
In Colorado, polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. If you are in line by 7 p.m. you will be allowed to vote. To avoid the lines, try to go before work, or leave work early. Lines are expected to be long at lunch time and after 5 p.m.
- Generally, you get about 15 minutes in the polling booth. Try to fill out your sample ballot before you get to the booth. If you don't have a sample ballot, or need to read up on the issues, see the Colorado Blue Book or go to our special section: Colorado on the Ballot.
- It depends. Some counties will allow you to drop off your mail-in ballot at your polling location. Other counties require you to drop it off ONLY at the drop-off location. Read the instruction sheet that came with your mail-in ballot. Mail-in ballots need to be submitted by 7 p.m.
- You can bring along notes or a sample ballot. Feel free to bring your children too. Also, bring a government -issued ID with you, such as a Colorado driver's license or ID card, or passport. Students can bring their student ID. You can also bring a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck as proof of residency. Learn more here.
- No campaign buttons, shirts, or hats will be allowed at your polling location. Electioneering is not allowed within 100 feet of each polling place. Campaign volunteers who are outside of polling locations, can offer water, snacks, etc. to voters in line but they cannot operate within 100 feet of the polling place if they are wearing campaign paraphernalia.
- Under state law, employers must give employees time off to vote on Election Day. The statute that covers this is:
1-7-102. Employees entitled to vote. (1) Eligible electors entitled to vote at an election shall be entitled to absent themselves for the purpose of voting from any service or employment in which they are then engaged or employed on the day of the election for a period of two hours during the time the polls are open. Any such absence shall not be sufficient reason for the discharge of any person from service or employment. Eligible electors, who so absent themselves shall not be liable for any penalty, nor shall any deduction be made from their usual salary or wages, on account of their absence. Eligible electors who are employed and paid by the hour shall receive their regular hourly wage for the period of their absence, not to exceed two hours. Application shall be made for the leave of absence prior to the day of election. The employer may specify the hours during which the employee may be absent, but the hours shall be at the beginning or end of the work shift, if the employee so requests.(2) This section shall not apply to any person whose hours of employment on the day of the election are such that there are three or more hours between the time of opening and the time of closing of the polls during which the elector is not required to be on the job.
- You must vote by your mail-in ballot. If you want to surrender your incomplete mail-in ballot and vote at the polls, you will be required to vote a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot will be counted only if you properly complete the provisional ballot envelope and do not return your mail-in ballot.
- Good question. We have a history of why national elections occur on the first Tuesday in November. Read more about it..
- Clerks can't officially begin tallying the ballots until polls close at 7 p.m. Even though more than 1.7 million votes have already been cast in Colorado -- either through Early Voting or mail-in ballots -- clerks can't start tabulating until 7 p.m. Find out how each county counts their votes. (PDF File)
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