It's Election Day. If you're cutting it close, it's not too late. Here's what to know
It's almost Election Day, and as of the end of day Thursday, more than 48,000 Larimer County voters had returned their ballots.
There's no need to feel like a slacker if you're not among them: That's only around 30% of all active registered voters in the county as of Nov. 2.
Also, don't give up. There's still time.
So here's a guide to help you cross the finish line by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, whether you simply need to return your ballot, or even if you haven't figured out how you want to vote on the multiple races and issues on it.
How do I learn what's on the ballot?
The Coloradoan has a full election guide (at Coloradoan.com for you print readers) that you can use to understand the issues or races that pertain to you.
Peruse our more than 60 stories to learn about:
two state ballot issues, Proposition HH and Proposition II
five city of Fort Collins ballot issues
three Fort Collins City Council races
the Fort Collins mayor's race
four Poudre School District Board of Education races
two Loveland ballot issues
four Thompson School District Board of Education races
four Weld RE-4 Board of Education races
How do I return my ballot?
It's too late to mail it, so drop it off at one of many locations across the county. Just do so by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Here's where you can drop off your ballot, 24 hours a day:
Fort Collins
Colorado State University's Lory Student Center (walk-up), 1101 Center Avenue Mall
Elks Lodge (walk-up/drive-thru), 1424 E. Mulberry St.
Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity ReStore (walk-up/drive-thru), 4001 S. Taft Hill Road
Fort Collins Police Services (walk-up/drive-thru), 2221 S. Timberline Road
Fort Collins Senior Center (walk-up/drive-thru), 1200 Raintree Drive
Fort Collins Traffic Operations (walk-up/drive-thru), 626 Linden St.
Harmony Library (walk-up), 4616 S. Shields St.
Larimer County Administrative Services (walk-up), 200 W. Oak St., outside southwest entrance
Larimer County Human Services (walk-up), 1501 Blue Spruce Drive
Northside Aztlan Community Center (walk-up/drive-thru), 112 E. Willow St.
South Transit Center (walk-up), 4915 Fossil Blvd.
Loveland
Loveland Habitat for Humanity ReStore (walk-up/drive-thru), 5250 N. Garfield Ave.
Loveland Police & Courts (drive-thru), 810 E. 10th St.
Loveland Public Library (drive-thru), 300 N. Adams Ave.
Loveland Vehicle Licensing Office (drive-thru), 200 Peridot Ave.
Estes Park
Estes Park Municipal Building (walk-up/drive-thru), 170 MacGregor Ave.
Estes Park Vehicle Licensing Office (walk-up/drive-thru), 1601 Brodie Ave.
Bellvue
Ted's Place (walk-up/drive-thru), (Colorado Highway 14 at U.S. Highway 287) 92 Poudre Canyon Road
Berthoud
Berthoud Community Library (walk-up/drive-thru), 236 Welch Ave.
Laporte
Overland Foods (walk-up), 3333 County Road 54G
Red Feather Lakes
Red Feather Lakes Community Library (walk-up/drive-thru), 71 Fire House Lane
Timnath
Timnath Public Works Building (walk-up/drive-thru), 4800 Goodman Road
Wellington
Wellington Public Library (walk-up/drive-thru), 3800 Wilson Ave
After I've voted, how can I know my ballot was received?
Go to ballottrax.coloradosos.gov/voter/ and sign up to get notifications.
Is it too late to register to vote?
No. You can register to vote even on Election Day.
To register online, go to govotecolorado.gov and click on "Yes, register online" under the Register to Vote header.
You can also register to vote at a voter service and polling center listed below.
If you registered online but don't have a ballot, go to a voter service and polling center to pick up your ballot.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the following locations:
Larimer County Administrative Services, 200 W. Oak St., first floor, Fort Collins
CSU Lory Student Center, 1101 Center Avenue Mall, Fort Collins
Drake Centre, 802 W. Drake Ave., Fort Collins
Front Range Community College, Longs Peak Student Center, 4616 S. Shields St., Fort Collins
Loveland Police & Courts , 810 E. 10th St., Loveland
Estes Valley Community Center, 660 Community Drive, Estes Park
What if I need a new ballot?
Go to a voter service and polling center listed in the section above. You can also go there to register to vote, change your address, drop off ballots and vote in person.
When and where can I find election results?
The Coloradoan will publish them at Coloradoan.com as soon as they are available, sometime after polls close at 7 p.m.
Larimer County Clerk Tina Harris plans to release the results in phases, with the first wave coming soon after polls close. The second and third waves are expected around 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.
If 20,000 or more ballots come in on Election Day, then they won't all be counted Tuesday, Harris said. Instead, workers will count until late Tuesday and then return Wednesday to resume counting.
With the addition of new equipment, it may be possible in future elections to count more than 20,000 ballots on Election Day, Harris said. She plans to use this election to gather information on what is feasible for future elections.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Larimer County last-minute voter guide: Get informed and vote