Colorado’s ballot returns for the 2022 election climbed to nearly 2.56 million, but they still fell short of the voter turnout during the last midterm election. 

As of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, 2,557,562 ballots were returned, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. That total is 9,222 fewer than the 2,566,784 ballots that were cast in Colorado in 2018. 

This is the last daily ballot count scheduled to be released this election cycle, but the 2022 ballot returns are expected to increase slightly.

Counting is wrapping up in county clerk offices throughout the state, and voters who improperly signed their ballots have until Wednesday to fix them – potentially bringing in thousands of additional ballots. During the 2020 election, 11,085 ballots were fixed and counted – ballots that otherwise would have been thrown out, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. 

An additional 6,788 ballots were counted between Wednesday on Sunday, slowing significantly after 106,000 ballots were counted the day before. This year’s voter turnout has gradually inched closer to 2018 numbers, with the 2022 turnout being around 122,000 ballots below 2018 on Wednesday, and over 277,000 ballots short on Monday. 

So far, 66.6% of Colorado’s 3.84 million active registered voters have returned a ballot. In 2018, 74.9% of active registered voters submitted a ballot.

Nearly 1,035,000 of Colorado ballots came from unaffiliated voters this year, making up 40.47% of the total. Democrats followed with 30.28%, and Republicans with 27.95%.

This ranking was the same in 2018, but with much closer splits: 31.8% unaffiliated, 31.0% Democrat and 30.6% Republican. This year, unaffiliated voters so far returned more than 163,000 more ballots than they did in 2018. Turnout is slightly below 2018 numbers for both Democrats and Republicans. 

Over 95.3% of ballots cast were mailed in, with only 120,000 people voting in person.

Voters aged 65 and over returned 28.54% of Colorado’s ballots, voters aged 45 to 64 returned 34.61% of the total, and voters younger than 45 returned 36.85%.

Jefferson County residents made up the biggest chunk of voters, submitting more than 304,000 ballots. Rounding out the top five: El Paso, Denver, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, with returned ballots ranging from 292,144 to 194,158.