If your ballot hasnt arrived, or youve filled it out and arent sure where to take it, El Paso County election officials have resources to help you take the next step.

Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker encourages voters to address problems early rather than wait until Election Day.

What if your ballot hasnt arrived?

Contact the El Paso County Elections Department at 719-575-VOTE (8683) or elections@elpasoco.com.

Schleiker said staff can check its status, cancel the original ballot, and issue a replacement.

If you recently moved, check or update your voter registration at GoVoteColorado.gov.

Can you still register?

Yes. Oct. 26 is the deadline to register or update your registration to have a ballot mailed to you.

After that, eligible voters can register and receive a ballot in person at a Voter Service and Polling Center through Election Day, Nov. 3.

So as long as youre in line, you know, on or before 7 p.m. on election night, youre gonna be able to participate, Schleiker said.

The Citizens Service Center at 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road already offers in-person services. Additional centers open in phases beginning Oct. 19. Check locations and operating hours here.

Where do you return your ballot?

Before returning it, take your own ballot envelope and sign it. Each voters ballot needs its own envelope.

Your envelope is to you as a particular voter, dont put two ballots in one envelope, Schleiker said.

Return it at one of the countys 44 secure ballot drop boxes or an open Voter Service and Polling Center. Find drop-box addresses and vote center locations here.

If mailing your ballot, Schleiker recommends mailing it by Oct. 26. After that, use a drop box or vote center.

For voters returning a regular domestic mail ballot, it must be received by 7 p.m. Nov. 3. A postmark does not count.

How do you know it arrived?

Sign up for El Paso Countys BallotTrax to receive notifications when your ballot is mailed, received, and processed for counting.

For Schleiker, voting also carries a personal meaning.

Every time I vote is I am sitting here, um, honoring those that have basically sacrificed to protect that right.

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Walkers and runners using the Greenway Trail in Monument Valley Park will need to take a different route while crews work on a historic bridge.

The temporary closure began Oct. 12 and is expected to last up to four weeks. It affects the west side of Monument Creek between the Duck Pond and the pickleball courts.

Crews need the space to use a crane to lift concrete deck panels into place on the 90-year-old Cache La Poudre Street/Mesa Road Bridge and perform other heavy construction.

For Brandon Eleuterio, who drives from Briargate about once a week to run, the park offers something he appreciates.

It gives me access to just some nice smooth dirt to run on, a nice soft surface, uh, and a little bit of nature inside the city, Eleuterio said.

The existing bridge closure has already changed his usual running route, but he said he has gotten used to taking another path.

How to get around the trail closure

The eastern leg of the Greenway Trail remains open, with an existing short pedestrian detour.

Heading south: Cross Monument Creek using the Uintah Street bridge. Heading north: Cross at the pedestrian bridge near the south end of the park.

Visitors can still reach the pickleball courts and Horticultural Art Society Demonstration Gardens by vehicle via Glen Avenue. The courts also remain accessible by trail from the south.

Asher Nofziger, a local resident, said the bridges road closure has made reaching parking and getting around the area more difficult. He looks forward to having that access restored.

I think itll be relieving, you know, getting rid of these road closed signs and being able to, you know, go where we want, Nofziger said.

Bridge construction began in April. Along with replacing the deck, crews are improving drainage and lighting and restoring the bridges Art Deco features.

The four-week estimate applies to the temporary trail closure. More information and a closure map are available on the citys project website.