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November Proposal for public comment on VSPCs

November 8, 2022 General Election

Proposed Designation of Voter Service & Polling Centers

 

            Pursuant to C.R.S. 1-7.5-105(1)(b), the Elections Division of the Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder’s Office is seeking public comments on this proposed designation of voter service and polling centers (VSPCs) and drop boxes for the November 8, 2022 General Election.

 

Share your comments on this proposal through the online form below by Saturday, June 11, 2020. You may also send suggestions directly by email to elections@arapahoegov.com.

 

Based on updates to Colorado’s election law since the last midterm election of 2018, Arapahoe County has been adding new VSPCs and 24-hour drop boxes across the county to match increased voter registration. Arapahoe County voters vastly prefer to return a mail ballot rather than vote in person. Over 93% of Arapahoe County voters cast that mail ballot in the 2020 Presidential Election, as did 98% of County voters in the 2021 Coordinated Election. VSPCs are still an important part of Colorado’s election system, providing a place for voters to get replacement ballots, register to vote for the first time, vote in person, vote with accessible ballot marking devices, use the curbside ballot pickup service, and drop off a mail ballot.

For the November 8, 2022 General Election, Arapahoe County is planning to operate 32 VSPCs and 35 drop boxes (open 24-hours).  This map of all proposed locations shows the geographic coverage achieved across the county by these combined VSPC and drop box locations compared to where all registered voters reside.

Proposed VSPC locations

The proposed set of VSPC locations for November 2022 serves a wide variety of county neighborhoods, convenient to retail and employment centers, major commuter routes (by car, bus and light rail) and offers choices to voters in dense population centers to avoid undue lines during the busiest voting times (map).VSPC locations will be opening in three different phases to accommodate early voters and maximize locations for the final high turnout days leading into November 8. Colorado law includes a formula that requires a minimum number of VSPCs for each phase, based on the number of active voters in the 2020 Presidential Election. For Arapahoe County, those requirements are:

  • 5 VSPCs must be open beginning 15 days before Final Election Day (Phase 1)
  • 20 VSPCs must be open from Friday, Nov. 4, through Final Election Day (Phase 2)
  • 32 VSPCs must be open on Monday, Nov. 7, and Final Election Day (Phase 3)

Under Colorado law, the County considers several factors when designating VSPCs, including:

  1. Proximity to public transportation lines and availability of parking. 
  1. Geographic features, such as mountain passes, that tend to affect access and convenience. 
  1. Equitable distribution across the county so as to afford maximally convenient options for electors. 
  1. The existence and location of population centers. 
  1. Access for persons with disabilities. 
  1. Use of existing voting locations that typically serve a significant number of electors. 
  1. Use of public buildings that are known to electors in the county, especially to the extent that using such buildings results in cost savings compared to other potential locations. 
  2. Proximity to historically under-represented communities. 
  3. The number of electors that used the location in prior elections and wait times at that location and nearby locations.
  4. The need to place locations in population centers that had lower turnout in prior elections.
  5. Polling locations shall be in public locations wherever possible. A private location may be used only when no appropriate public location is available.

 

During an earlier public comment period this year, the Election Division received community feedback that was very supportive of many library locations. There were multiple requests for additional sites on the eastern edge of the Aurora metro area where housing developments have expanded. Some commenters also suggested specific intersections or neighborhoods where our team investigated the availability of facility use.

 

Most of the proposed VSPCs have been used previously in a November Election. This map shows prior in-person votes cast at proposed locations which were also used in the 2020 Presidential Election. Other proposed VSPCs would be used for the first time in the 2022 General Election. Some locations – such as those on higher education campuses – are mandated by state law based on the enrollment numbers at those colleges.

 

VSPC location

Street Address

City

Zip

Proposed Phase

Arapahoe Community College

5900 S. Santa Fe Dr.

Littleton

80120

1

Arapahoe County CentrePoint Plaza

14980 E. Alameda Dr.

Aurora

80012

1

Arapahoe County Lima Plaza

6954 S. Lima St.

Centennial

80112

1

Arapahoe County Administration Building

5334 S. Prince St

Littleton

80120

1

Arapahoe Libraries Administration

12855 E. Adam Aircraft Cir.

Centennial

80112

1

Central Recreation Center

18150 E. Vassar Pl.

Aurora

80013

1

Englewood Civic Center

1000 Englewood Pkwy.

Englewood

80110

1

Kelver Library

404 E. Front St

Byers

80103

1

Smoky Hill Library

5430 S. Biscay Cir.

Aurora

80015

1

Southglenn Library

6972 S. Vine St

Centennial

80122

1

Tallyn's Reach Library

23911 E Arapahoe Rd

Aurora

80016

1

APS Educational Services Center 4

1085 Peoria St.

Aurora

80011

2

APS Professional Learning and Conference Center

15771 E. First Ave.

Aurora

80011

2

Arapahoe County Fairgrounds

25690 E. Quincy Ave.

Aurora

80016

2

Aurora Center for Active Adults

30 Del Mar Circle

Aurora

80011

2

Aurora Municipal Center

15151 E Alameda Pkwy

Aurora

80012

2

Beck Recreation Center

800 Telluride St.

Aurora

80011

2

Bemis Public Library

6014 S. Datura St.

Littleton

80120

2

Cherry Creek Schools Instructional Support Facility

5416 S. Riviera Way

Centennial

80015

2

City of Glendale Municipal Building

950 S. Birch St.

Glendale

80246

2

City of Greenwood Village

6060 S. Quebec St

Greenwood Village

80111

2

Community College of Aurora - CentreTech Campus

16000 E Centretech Pkwy

Aurora

80011

2

Community College of Aurora - Lowry Campus

710 Alton Way

Denver

80230

2

Heather Gardens Clubhouse

2888 S. Heather Gardens Way

Aurora

80014

2

Martin Luther King Jr. Library

9898 E. Colfax Ave.

Aurora

80010

2

Mission Viejo Library

15324 E. Hampden Cir.

Aurora

80013

2

Murphy Creek Golf Course

1700 S Old Tom Morris Rd

Aurora

80018

2

Parkside Village Retirement Resort

14501 E. Crestline Dr.

Aurora

80015

2

Pickens Technical College

500 Airport Blvd.

Aurora

80011

2

Vista Peak Preparatory School

24500 E. 6th Ave

Aurora

80018

2

E-470 Administrative Headquarters

22470 E. Stephen D. Hogan Pkwy.

Aurora

80018

3

Mississippi Avenue Baptist Church

13231 E. Mississippi Ave.

Aurora

80012

3

 

Map of all Proposed VSPCs

 

24-hour Drop Boxes

            In the 2020 Presidential Election, Arapahoe County Elections operated 32 ballot drop boxes across the County. Drop boxes are monitored by security cameras 24/7, and video footage must be retained by the county for a legally required period of time after the election. Therefore, any location for a drop box must be close enough to a location where the Elections Division can install the camera, lighting, recording equipment, and storage device. Bipartisan teams of election judges check and retrieve all ballots from these boxes and return them in sealed ballot boxes to the central count facility.

In the 2022 General Election, 35 drop boxes will be available for voters to return mail ballots. Some of these drop boxes are co-branded with a neighboring metro-area county subject to an intergovernmental agreement where both County Clerks have access to use the box for elections held in their jurisdiction. Bipartisan teams from each County exchange any ballots from voters in each county as needed in shared elections. Under Colorado law, Arapahoe County is required to operate 34 drop boxes including three (3) on specific higher education campuses that meet enrollment thresholds. The chart below lists drop boxes that will be used in the 2022 General Election.

 

Drop box location

Street Address

City

Zip

Arapahoe Community College

5900 S. Santa Fe Dr.

Littleton

80120

Arapahoe County Administration Building

5334 S. Prince St.

Littleton

80120

Arapahoe County Aurora MV Office

490 S. Chambers Rd.

Aurora

80017

Arapahoe County CentrePoint Plaza

14980 E. Alameda Dr.

Aurora

80012

Arapahoe County Elections Facility

5251 S. Federal Blvd

Littleton

80123

Arapahoe County Lima Plaza

6954 S. Lima St.

Centennial

80112

Aurora Center For Active Adults

30 Del Mar Circle

Aurora

80011

Aurora Municipal Center (Library Cir.)

15151 E. Alameda Pkwy.

Aurora

80012

Beck Recreation Center

800 Telluride St.

Aurora

80011

Centennial Civic Center

13133 E. Arapahoe Rd.

Centennial

80112

Central Recreation Center

18150 E. Vassar Pl.

Aurora

80013

Cherry Hills Village Center

2450 E. Quincy Ave.

Cherry Hills Village

80113

City of Glendale Municipal Building

950 S. Birch St.

Glendale

80246

City of Greenwood Village

6060 S. Quebec St.

Greenwood Village

80111

City of Sheridan Municipal Center

4101 S. Federal Blvd.

Sheridan

80110

Community College of Aurora - Centretech

16000 E. CentreTech Pkwy.

Aurora

80011

Community College of Aurora - Lowry

710 Alton Way

Denver

80230

Deer Trail Town Hall

555 Second Ave.

Deer Trail

80105

Eloise May Library

1471 S. Parker Rd.

Denver

80231

Englewood Civic Center

1000 Englewood Pkwy.

Englewood

80110

Goodson Recreation Center

6315 S. University Blvd.

Centennial

80121

Heather Gardens Clubhouse

2888 S. Heather Gardens Way

Aurora

80014

Iliff RTD Parking Structure

14000 E. Wesley Ave.

Aurora

80014

Kelver Library

585 S. Main St.

Byers

80103

Koelbel Library

5955 S. Holly St.

Centennial

80121

Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

9898 E. Colfax Ave.

Aurora

80010

Mission Viejo Library

15324 E. Hampden Cir.

Aurora

80013

Saddle Rock Golf Course

21705 E Arapahoe Rd.

Aurora

80016

Smoky Hill Library

5430 S. Biscay Cir.

Centennial

80015

Tallyn's Reach Library

23911 E. Arapahoe Rd.

Aurora

80016

Tri-County Health Clinic

4857 S. Broadway

Englewood

80113

Utah Park Pool

1800 S. Peoria St.

Aurora

80012

Adams County Bennett Motor Vehicle

355 S. First St.

Bennett

80102

Adams County Sheriff Substation

2550 Strasburg Rd.

Strasburg

80136

South Suburban Sports Complex

4810 E. County Line Rd.

Littleton

80126

 

Map of all 24 hour drop boxes