As the ballots begin to arrive to registered voters around campus, students and community members have several ways to vote during the 2016 election.
Ballots were sent to registered voters across campus last week, and all registered voters have until 7 p.m. on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 8 to submit their ballot in person.
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For many CSU students, this is their first election and their first time filling out and sending in their ballots.
After filling out the ballot, place it in the security sleeve provided. Then, place it in the envelope provided. After signing and sealing the envelope, the ballot is ready to either be mailed or dropped off at any voter service center in the state.
Mailed ballots must have postage and be received by a county clerk by 7 p.m. on Nov. 8.
Ballots can be dropped off 24 hours a day in the Larimer County Courthouse.
Other voter service and polling centers in Fort Collins include the Council Tree Covenant Church, the Drake Center and the Elks Lodge. On campus, voters can turn in their ballots to the North Ballroom of the Lory Student Center, as well as get replacement ballots or change their address.
All the voter service and polling locations will accept ballots at the following times:
- Monday, Oct. 24 to Friday, Oct. 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 31 to Friday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 7 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
If a voter is not registered to vote, not registered in their current county, or prefer to vote in person, they can register and vote at any time until election day at any of the voter service centers.
Ballots can also be turned in at select grocery stores around Fort Collins. These grocery stores include:
- King Soopers on S Timberline Rd
- King Soopers on N College Ave
- Safeway W Drake Rd
- Safeway on E Harmony Rd
These grocery stores, like some of the voter service centers, are accepting ballots only at certain times of the day throughout the next few weeks. The grocery stores will accept ballots on the following days and times:
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- Friday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 7 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
To check voter registration or status of a ballot, voters can input their information on the Colorado Secretary of State website.
With over 250,000 voters in Larimer County, according to the Colorado Secretary of State website, some members of the CSU community are working to make sure students at CSU, as well as other new voters, are informed on how to vote and why it is important. New Era Colorado is a non-profit group focused on registering young people to vote.
Taylor Smith, New Era Colorado’s northern program manager, said voters under the age of 35 have close to 40 percent of the eligible voting population.
“This year, millennials and people under the age of 35 are 1 in every 3 eligible voters,” Smith wrote in an email to the Collegian. “We have a bigger voice than ever! We want to make sure that we turn out and utilize that voice for the issues that really matter to young people.”
“The political process is meant for you and it’s meant to work the way you want it to,” Smith wrote. “Democracy works best when more people participate in it.”
Collegian reporter Austin Fleskes can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @MrPacMan80.
