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Clerk: 491,000 ballots mailed as El Paso County prepares June 30 primary
Summary
Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleicher told commissioners the office mailed more than 491,000 ballots, completed logic-and-accuracy testing, and reminded voters that Colorado requires ballots to be received by 7 p.m. on election night; he outlined tracking tools, drop-box locations and turnout expectations.
Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleicher said El Paso County began mailing ballots for the June 30 primary after passing required logic-and-accuracy tests. "We mailed over 491,000 ballots yesterday morning at 8 a.m.," Schleicher told the Board of County Commissioners on June 9.
Schleicher said the office ran 3,000 Republican and 3,000 Democratic ballots through tabulators during testing and verified results with a hand count. He described ‘‘ballot tracking’’ that allows the county to follow every mail ballot to the precinct level and said roughly 47% of ballots had been delivered at one check of the system.
Why it matters: The county’s preparations affect how quickly results can be reported and how voters access ballot-drop boxes and in-person vote centers. Schleicher emphasized that Colorado law requires ballots to be received by 7 p.m. on election night; the county does not accept postmarks as a substitute for timely receipt. "If it is not received by 7 p.m., it is not accepted," he said.
Schleicher reviewed operational details: the county added three new ballot drop boxes (Green Mountain Falls, Old Colorado City/Safeway, and near Jetwing & Academy), bringing the total to 44 secured drop boxes. The county will operate eight in-person vote centers for this election and opened its citizen service center for in-person voting. He encouraged voters who had not received a ballot to sign up for ballot-tracking and to contact the elections office at (719) 575-8683 or elections@elpasoco.com if their ballot did not arrive.
In response to commissioners’ questions about other states’ delays, Schleicher noted a pending U.S. Supreme Court matter concerning whether postmarks should be accepted; he said the court’s decision would not change Colorado practice because Colorado already requires receipt by 7 p.m. He also warned that returning multiple ballots from a single household could invalidate votes: "Unaffiliated voters may receive two ballots, but you can only return one. If you return two, your vote does not count."
Turning to turnout, Schleicher said primary turnout historically runs below 35% and urged outreach to improve participation. He closed by summarizing training efforts for bipartisan election judges, new ballot-box security camera installations and the county’s transparency efforts in inviting candidates to observe processes.
Next steps: Ballot mailings will continue; voters can use the county’s VIP website to find drop-box and vote-center locations and should contact the elections office if they do not receive a ballot by the date recommended by the clerk.
