Colorado election officials urge voters to return ballots early – Colorado Newsline

Voting early makes it more likely to get results sooner, López said. Ballots received before November 4 will be processed before Election Day and will be reflected in the initial result around 7 p.m. that evening.

“We hope to get the majority of ballots before Election Day Monday,” López said.

So far, turnout in Denver is about 7 percent.

Voters should mail their ballot by Oct. 28 to ensure it reaches their county clerk on time. People can also vote in person or drop off their ballot in a drop box until 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, emphasized voting rights Monday, including the rights of unhoused people and incarcerated people.

“I can confidently say that Colorado is the best prepared state in the country. In the midst of the 2024 presidential election, it is important that Coloradans know how to vote, but also know that their right to vote is protected,” she said.

Rare electoral arrest

Various forms of voter intimidation are illegal in Colorado, including carrying a firearm within 100 feet of a voting center or campaigning near a voting center.

On Monday morning, a Del Norte man was arrested for campaigning outside a voting center, Griswold said at the news conference. Law enforcement confirmed the incident.

A 45-year-old Del Norte resident was telling people to vote for former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and waving a Trump flag near the Rio Grande County Annex Building, according to local officials . Election workers and law enforcement asked him to leave multiple times and he refused, eventually cursing and physically threatening a sheriff’s deputy, Sheriff Anne Robinson said.

He was arrested on charges of campaigning, disorderly conduct, obstruction and resisting arrest. County Clerk Cindy Hill, a Republican, said she believed it was the first election-related arrest in her 14 years in office.

“Colorado voters, you have the right to vote without intimidation, and we take that very seriously,” Griswold said.

Election officials also released a physical booklet Monday explaining voting rights in the state. Deputy House Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat, worked with Griswold’s office to produce the pamphlet. The short, clear text is intended to be distributed statewide for voters to reference. It is also available online.

“My parents and grandparents had to deal with the trauma of being denied the right to vote because of the color of their skin, or being told they had to pay a tax or take a literacy test said Bacon. “Then I see people of my generation who had to wait in line for up to seven hours in other states and would potentially be criminalized if they wanted to give someone a bottle of water, so my generation is a little skeptical. But for today’s youth, we want you to know that voting is an inherent and fundamental right.

Quentin Young contributed to this report.