Denver election officials prepare for 80% turnout as voting centers expand

Denver voters will have more options to cast their ballots starting Monday, as additional voter service and polling centers open across the city.

This comes as election officials are preparing for a high voter turnout of around 80%.

This year, given the number of federal races at stake and the high number of local and statewide races and ballot measures, we are preparing for a turnout of roughly 80%, which is not seen at those levels outside of a presidential election. Denverites historically vote later in the election cycles, so we are preparing to see around 40% to 50% of those of ballots sent out returned to us on the last few days of voting, the Denver Clerk and Recorders Office told Denver7.

Watch the video report below: Denver election officials prepare for 80% turnout as voting centers expand

Thirteen additional voter service and polling centers open Monday, bringing the total number of in-person voting locations in Denver to 14. The Denver Public Library has already been open to voters. In total, there are around 40 VSPCs that will be opened in phases leading up to Election Day.

As more of our vote centers open between now and Monday, Nov. 2, voters will have more options in locations to go to cast their ballots, the Denver Clerk and Recorders Office said.

Each center offers full services, including voter registration, ballot replacement and in-person voting. Voters must bring an accepted form of identification. There are 17 forms of identification that the state of Colorado accepts as valid for voting.

There's been a lot of noise around voter identification lately but in Colorado, you cannot register to vote if you are not a citizen of the United States or a resident of Colorado. Also if voters would like to skip the lines, there are 29 drop boxes located conveniently around the city and county of Denver where voters can drop off their completed ballots, the Denver Clerk and Recorders Office told Denver7.

For those voting by mail, officials say to sign the return envelope and recommend mailing ballots by Oct. 26 to avoid delivery delays.

The single most important thing a voter can do when returning their ballots is to sign the envelope. Our judges receive FBI-level training on verifying signatures and matching them to the most recent signature on file for that voter, but we cannot do that and cannot count their vote unless a voter signs their envelope. And without a signature, we have no way to contact the voter to give them an opportunity to cure their ballot, the Denver Clerk and Recorders Office said.

Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.

Denver election officials said voters can track their mail ballots through BallotTrax, or use one of the citys official drop boxes to avoid potential mail delays.

The easiest way is to sign up for BallotTrax. It's a text message or email (or both) delivered to you as your ballot makes its way through the system, starting with it being sent to you. As soon as it's scanned in, you'll be notified that it's been received, processed and counted, the Denver Clerk and Recorders Office told Denver7.

Denver7 spoke to young voters on what they hope to see in terms of voter turnout.

We're not really seeing any young faces. So, especially this election cycle, we're seeing a lot more of that. It's very hopeful and I think it has been mobilizing a lot of younger voters during this election, MSU Denver student Carter Lane said.

Lane said it has always been a priority for him to vote in every election since he turned 18.

I think young people should vote because its great to show what people care about in a certain point in time. If young people don't vote, then all of their issues are going to be ignored, Lane said.

The Denver Clerk and Recorders Office sent out more than 467,000 ballots to registered active voters. As of Friday morning, more than 22,000 ballots have been received and accepted.

These numbers are fairly average with previous elections. Well see a good 50% or more of ballots come back in the two to three days before Election Day, so this return rate is fairly standard, the office told Denver7.

Voters can find polling locations, drop box information and accepted forms of identification at denvervotes.org.

Denver7's Colorado Voter Guide also has everything you need to know before Election Day.

Phase 1 VSPCs

Hours of operation

Monday, Oct. 19 - Friday, Oct. 23: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 26 - Friday, Oct. 30: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 2: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 3: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Barnum Recreation Center  360 N. Hooker St. | Multipurpose Room Blair-Caldwell Library  2401 Welton St. | Large Conference Room Calvary Baptist Church of Denver  6500 E. Girard Ave. | Fellowship Hall Christ Church United Methodist  690 N. Colorado Blvd. | Fellowship Hall Denver Central Library - 10 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. | Park View Room Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center - 4890 N. Argonne Way | Multipurpose Room Harvard Gulch Recreation Center  550 E. Iliff Ave. | Multipurpose Room Harvey Park Recreation Center  2120 S. Tennyson Way | Multipurpose Room Hiawatha Davis Jr. Recreation Center  3334 N. Holly St. | Multipurpose Room Highland Recreation Center  2880 N. Osceola St. | Multipurpose Room Montbello Recreation Center  15555 E. 53rd Ave. | Multipurpose Room Tivoli Student Union at Auraria  900 Auraria Pkwy. | Multicultural Lounge, Rm. 261 University of Denver Dimond Family Res. Village  2020 S. High St. | Multipurpose Room

Phase 2 VSPCs

Hours of Operation

Monday, Oct. 26 - Friday, Oct. 30: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 2: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 3: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Central Park Recreation Center  9651 E. Martin Luther King Blvd. | Multipurpose Room Montclair Recreation Center  729 N. Ulster Way | Multipurpose Room Southwest Recreation Center  9200 W. Saratoga Pl. | Multipurpose Room Swansea Recreation Center  2650 E. 49th Ave. | Multipurpose Room Windsor Gardens  595 S. Clinton St. | Auditorium

Phase 3 VSPCs

Hours of Operation

Friday, Oct. 30: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 2: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 3: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Athmar Recreation Center  2680 W. Mexico Ave. | Gym Cook Park Recreation Center  7100 Cherry Creek South Dr. | Multipurpose Room Eisenhower Recreation Center  4300 E. Dartmouth Ave. | Multipurpose Room La Familia Recreation Center  65 S. Elati St. | Gym Martin Luther King Jr. Library  9898 E. Colfax Ave. | Akron, Boston, Clinton, and Dayton Rooms Friday, Oct. 30: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 a .m. - 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Regis University/Claver Hall  3333 Regis Blvd. | Mountain View Room (Use Ignatius Lot 4 entrance on Lowell Blvd. north of 52nd Ave.) Re:Vision  3738 Morrison Rd. | Gallery

Phase 4 VSPCs

Hours of Operation

Monday, Nov. 2: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 3: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Augustana Lutheran Church  5000 E. Alameda Ave. | Fellowship Hall East High School  1600 City Park Esplanade | Calloway Gym (Enter from Detroit St.) Glenarm Recreation Center  2800 S. Lamar St. | Outdoor Auxiliary Gym La Alma Recreation Center  1325 W. 11th Ave. | Dance Room Montbello High School  5000 Crown Blvd. | Gym Nova Church  1205 E. 8th Ave. | Multipurpose Room Riverside Church  2401 Alcott St. | Gym Scheitler Recreation Center  5031 W. 46th Ave. | Gym South High School  1700 E. Louisiana Ave. | Gym St. John's Cathedral  1350 N. Washington St. | St. Francis Chapel Thomas Jefferson High School  3950 S. Holly St. | Dance Room Tracks  3500 Walnut St. | Multipurpose Room Union Station  1701 Wynkoop St. | Great Hall