“A violation of our rights” Colorado Springs residents say after claiming they haven’t received a 2024 ballot
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - We are now less than two weeks away from Election Day and residents in the northern part of Colorado Springs tell KRDO13 that they have yet to receive their ballots.
As of October 21, the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office says all El Paso County ballots should have arrived in voters' mailboxes.
However, residents in the Stone Crossing at Middle Creek neighborhood say, that hasn't been the case and they are eager to know why, "It feels like our rights are being violated. The other concern is, is the vote going to be legitimate? Are other people taking our ballots and voting with that? So, it's a concern," Amy Higgins said.
Higgins says she's been anxiously waiting for her 2024 ballot, "I've checked every day. No ballots. We did go online. We filled out cases with the post office, but really haven't heard back and so now we don't know where to go with our ballots."
She's not the only one in the same area searching for hers, "I get the inform delivery for the U.S. Postal Service, and I knew they were supposed to be arriving on the 12th and they still are not here," Katie Ferguson said.
According to the United States Postal Service (USPS), a majority of the more than 488,000 registered voters in El Paso County have received a ballot in the mail.
It takes anywhere from 5-7 days for a replacement ballot to be re-mailed to someone, according the El Paso County Elections Director.
Residents say that's an issue with how close we are to Election Day, "I think the post office needs to take this very seriously and I think there needs to be an investigation into what happened. Was it a theft or was it just mishandling of the ballots being delivered?" Higgins said.
KRDO13 did reach out to USPS, sharing the addresses in question. They tell us their team is investigating.
If you are still in-need of a ballot, USPS says to follow the steps below.
"If you do not receive your ballot, please verify your address at www.govotecolorado.gov. If your address is correct, please contact our office at (719) 575-VOTE (8683) during regular business hours to request a replacement ballot.
If the address isn’t correct, update your address at www.govotecolorado.gov with your Colorado Driver’s License. You may also visit any Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC) to pick up a ballot or vote in person. After October 28, 2024, you must visit a VSPC to change your address and receive your ballot.
The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office offers BallotTrax where voters can track the status of their individual ballot. For the 2024 General Election, voters receive a notice they are enrolled if their registration record contains their email address. Voters who don’t receive a notice can sign up here https://colorado.ballottrax.net."
United States Postal Service
It is important to note, if you do request a replacement ballot, your first ballot immediately becomes invalid.
