If you’re one of Colorado’s over 4.5 million registered voters (as of the latest count), keep an eye on your mailbox — your ballot should arrive within the next few weeks. 

Ballots officially start being mailed out to voters on Oct. 11, but don’t panic if yours doesn’t arrive immediately, they’re sent out over the course of a few days. Here are a few important dates to know as election day draws closer. 

Oct. 11: First day that ballots are mailed to voters

As mentioned above, the first round of ballots will be mailed out to voters on October 11. All ballots are required to be sent out by October 18, so you should expect to receive yours by end of the month at the latest. You can submit your ballot by mail as soon as it arrives.

Each county’s Clerk and Recorder designates a minimum number of voting service and polling centers that must be open for in-person voting by October 21, based on the number of active electors in the county. In addition to in-person voting, these centers typically offer ballot drop boxes and can provide assistance with with voter registration and other questions.   

Oct. 28: Last day to submit a voter registration application and get a ballot in the mail

Unregistered voters or voters who need to change their registration have until October 28 to submit their voter registration application to receive a ballot in the mail. In-person registration will remain available up until Election Day.

Nov. 5: Polls close at 7 p.m. 

Voters have until 7 p.m. on Election day to submit their ballots. As long as a ballot is in the hands of an elections worker by 7 p.m., it will be counted. 

Register to vote in Colorado here.