Monday was opening day for five Voter Service and Polling Centers throughout El Paso County, where residents can register to vote, cast their ballots in person and update their registration as Colorado’s June 30 primary election day nears.

The centers also have ballot-marking devices for voters with disabilities.

Monday was the last day to safely mail in ballots, according to the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Any later, and the ballot might not be received in time.

According to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office, voters who received a mailed ballot can surrender the ballot and instead vote in person at a Voter Service and Polling Center if they choose.

“All ballots, whether mail ballot or voting in person, are processed and tabulated in the same method at our centralized facility,” a Monday statement from county officials read.

The locations will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Drop-off locations include:

Citizens Service Center (1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road)

Downtown/Centennial Hall (200 S. Cascade Ave.)

Fort Carson EPC Branch (6351 Wetzel Ave, Bldg. 1525, Fort Carson)

North EPC Branch (8830 N. Union Blvd.)

Southeast EPC Branch (5650 Industrial Pl.)

On Monday, June 29, three more VSPCs will open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Election Day, June 30, all the centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The additional locations include:

Fountain Utilities (101 N. Main St., Fountain)

Meridian Ranch Rec Center (10301 Angeles Road, Peyton)

Town of Monument Public Works Building (259 Beacon Lite Road, Monument)

Ballots can also be turned in at more than 40 24/7 drop boxes throughout the county.

Courtesy of the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

The primary election will decide the Republican and Democratic candidates for major state races, including governor. In El Paso County, two Democratic candidates are vying for a party nomination in the 5th Congressional District race against incumbent Republican Jeff Crank. Two county commissioner races, District 1 and District 5, are contested, as are multiple state congressional races. The general election will be held Nov. 3.

More information can be found at the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office website.

As of Monday, the Clerk and Recorder’s Office recorded about 31,000 votes in the primary, representing 6% of active El Paso County voters. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, the final turnout in the 2024 nonpresidential primary was about 29% in El Paso County and 26% statewide.

The largest voting group so far has been Republicans, followed closely by unaffiliated voters. Unaffiliated voters are the largest group of registered voters in the county, making up about 53%. The median age of voters whose ballots have already been received in the primary is 68.