Election Day in Aurora: Arapahoe County Ballots Must Be Received by 7 p.m. Tuesday
Colorado mails a ballot to every active registered voter, but on Tuesday, Nov. 3, only ballots received by 7 p.m. count. Here is how Aurora voters can register, vote in person, and return a ballot on time.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, is Election Day in Colorado, and for most Aurora voters the local authority is the Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder. The deadline that matters is arrival, not mailing. All ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3, and a postmark does not count. In the final days, the reliable ways to return a ballot are a 24-hour drop box or in person, rather than relying on the mail.
Aurora sits mainly in Arapahoe County, with the county running Voter Service and Polling Centers, known as VSPCs, for in-person voting. VSPCs are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, and anyone in line at 7 p.m. may vote. At a VSPC, a voter can vote in person, return a mail ballot, obtain a replacement ballot, and register to vote.
Same-day registration is available at VSPCs through 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voting in person requires an acceptable form of identification, such as a Colorado driver's license or state ID, a U.S. passport, or certain government or student IDs. Mail voting carries its own step: sign the return envelope, because Colorado verifies mail ballots by signature.
The ballot itself is a consequential one. Statewide, Coloradans are deciding an open governor's race, as Gov. Polis is term-limited, a U.S. Senate seat, with Sen. Hickenlooper's seat on the 2026 ballot, and all of Colorado's U.S. House seats. GoVoteColorado.gov is the official voter resource for checking registration, finding drop boxes and VSPCs, and reviewing what is on the ballot.
For Aurora voters, Tuesday planning should account for the city itself. Trips across town on I-225, Parker Road, or Colfax can take longer than expected, especially in the evening. Find a location early through the county clerk or GoVoteColorado.gov, return the ballot well before 7 p.m., and leave a margin for lines. A ballot in a drop box by mid-afternoon is a vote counted without suspense.
