This election season we’ve read and heard a lot of technical jargon about things like signature verification software, ballot sorting machines and the technology involved.
As the Nov. 3 General Election nears, it’s a good time to remind voters that one of the most important tools Arapahoe County voters have to cast a ballot is an unsung hero, only four feet tall and made of steel: The 24-hour ballot drop box.
In 2020 Arapahoe County installed seven new ballot boxes, bringing our grand total to 33 across the county. The most recent additions are at RTD’s Iliff Station parking structure, the Saddle Rock Golf Course in Aurora, and Koelbel Library in Centennial. Chances are there is a ballot drop box in your neighborhood or on your route to work. Just go to www.arapahoevotes.com/ballot-drop-locations to find the most convenient location for you.
Ballot drop boxes offer a reliable alternative to voting by mail or in person by:
Allowing voters to make more informed choices. Voters can take their time to look up ballot issues and candidates at home before filling out their ballot, an option in-person voting doesn’t offer.
Being highly secure. They’re tamper-proof, fireproof and bolted to the ground. Each ballot box is monitored 24/7 by a security camera, and bipartisan ballot security teams empty each box (starting once every business day beginning Oct. 9, and increasing to two or three times per day by Election Day) and transport the ballots to our secure warehouse. You can also track your ballot at www.arapahoevotes.com/ballot-track and receive text or email updates when your ballot is received by the County.
Keeping us healthy. There’s no waiting in line and no person-to-person contact when you drop a signed ballot envelope in a ballot box. In some cases, you don’t even need to get out of your car.
Providing a convenient way to vote. Once someone votes their ballot, seals it in a security envelope and signs the envelope, they can drop it off at any drop box, which are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week beginning Oct. 9 and until 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.
Mail ballots will be sent to active registered voters beginning Oct. 9, so it’s a good time to go to govotecolorado.gov and make sure your address and other registration information is up-to-date.
Arapahoe County drop boxes ensure that voters can be safe, be confident and be heard in the General Election, so find your most convenient ballot box and make a plan to vote today.
Joan Lopez is the Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder