September 25, 2023 – The Office of the Clerk and Recorder has sent nearly 5,300 ballots for the Coordinated Election to voters classified under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). These voters with special circumstances include military and their dependents living out of state, and voters who reside out of the country. Holding the highest amount of active UOCAVA voters in the State of Colorado, the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office pays special attention to these voters.
“We ensure every eligible voter is enfranchised, with special accommodations provided for our out-of-state military and citizens living out of the country,” said Clerk Steve Schleiker. “These voters receive ballots in advance of others and have an 8-day extension to return their ballot. Our duty to them and all voters is to guarantee their democratic right to vote is uncompromised by their circumstances.”
Besides receiving their ballots earlier, the UOCAVA voters also have an extended time to return their ballot to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Whereas local voters must return their ballot by 7:00 PM on Election Day to count, UOCAVA ballots postmarked by 7:00 PM on Election Day will count if they arrive as late as eight days after the election. The postmark is counted as valid only on UOCAVA ballots, and not for local voters. UOCAVA voters can vote and return their ballot by mail, fax or email to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office.
UOCAVA voters may obtain additional information by contacting the Election staff members who have expertise in this area at uocava@elpasoco.com. They also may visit the website for the Colorado Secretary of State.
The Clerk’s Office wants all voters to “make a plan to vote” and be prepared in advance of October 16, when ballots will be mailed to non-UOCAVA voters. This is an all-mail ballot election and voters’ registration must be up to date for their ballot to be mailed to them. Voters are encouraged to visit http://www.govotecolorado.gov now and check that the address on their registration record is correct. For additional election information visit our website EPCVotes.com.