Published October 26, 2026 5:01pm
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Updated October 26, 2026 5:21pm
A week out from Election Day, close to 19% of registered voters in El Paso County have cast their ballots. It’s too soon to tell how turnout will shake out, says El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker.
Schleiker, whose office runs elections, said he was “cautiously optimistic” that 70 to 75% of active registered voters would cast a ballot.
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“That would represent strong participation for a midterm election. It remains an estimate, rather than a conclusion that our current returns guarantee that outcome,” he wrote in a statement.
Midterm elections typically do not garner the same turnout as presidential elections. This year, Colorado is fielding some high-profile races, including for governor. In 2022, the last presidential midterm, 61% of registered voters in El Paso County cast a ballot. In 2018, the county saw 70% turnout. El Paso County is Colorado’s most populous county and has the highest number of registered voters — over half a million.
Following the trend of past elections, unaffiliated voters make up the largest share of accepted mail ballots at nearly 40,000. Republicans are the second-largest category with 30,000, while registered Democrats submitted 22,000 mailed ballots.
Schleiker said the latest numbers do not include over 11,000 mail ballots that have been received but not yet processed.
Turnout numbers only show how voters registered, not how they voted for candidates and issues. The large number of unaffiliated voters in Colorado can also obscure political leanings. According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, ballots returned by unaffiliated voters are also leading statewide at 41% as of Monday. About half of all active voters in the state are unaffiliated.
Precinct turnout varies widely. On the west side of Colorado Springs and the county, some precincts have seen over 30% of voters cast ballots. Precincts that include military installations and some parts of southeast Colorado Springs are among the lowest-turnout areas, based on early data.
Slightly more women than men have had their ballots accepted in El Paso County, and more women than men are Democrats. The gender distribution of Republicans and Unaffiliated voters is nearly the same in the preliminary numbers. Early voters skew older: the median age is 64.
Tuesday is the last day that El Paso County recommends voters return their ballot by mail. Ballots have to be received by Election Day, and a postmark doesn’t count. Voters can still drop their ballots off at a 24/7 ballot drop box or vote early in person at the Voter Services and Polling Centers opening around the county. For more information on locations and hours, visit the Clerk and Recorder’s website.