Ballots for Eagle County voters go in the mail Oct. 11. Here are eight things you need to know about voting in this year’s election.

Ballots for the Nov. 5 general election will go into the mail Friday, Oct. 11, so most voters should have their ballots by Oct. 16 or so. Here are eight things you should know:

• You can vote on Election Day, of course. But if you mail your ballot, it must arrive by Nov. 5. Postmarks don’t count.

• You can drop off your ballot as soon as it arrives. The county has seven 24-hour drop boxes, all of which are monitored by video. Those drop boxes open Oct. 11, and are located in Eagle, at the county administration building in Eagle, Gypsum Town Hall, the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder’s Office in Avon, Vail Town Hall, Basalt Town Hall and at the Mountain Recreation field house in Edwards.
• Voter service centers will open Oct. 21 in Eagle at the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, at the Clerk and Recorder’s Office and at the Avon Municipal Buildling. A voter service center in Vail will open Oct. 30 in the Grand View Room atop the Lionshead parking structure. Eagle County Clerk and Recorder Regina O’Brien said people can do anything at those centers they can do on Election Day, from casting or replacing ballots to checking registration.
• The last day to request a replacement ballot via the mail is Oct. 28. After that, you have to go to a voter service center and make the request in person.
• The Clerk and Recorder’s office has a composite ballot posted on its website. That composite ballot has every issue county voters face. But, O’Brien said, ballots sent to specific addresses will have issues and candidates for those areas. For instances, voters in the Eagle River Valley will only see candidates for the 2nd Congressional District and the appropriate state offices. Voters in the Roaring Fork Valley — and a small portion of this part of the county — will only see candidates for the 3rd Congressional District and appropriate state offices. The same is true for local questions including towns and special districts. If you’re in Gypsum, you won’t see the Eagle River Fire Protection District’s request for a sales tax increase.
• Vote both sides of the ballot. It’s printed on both sides of the sheet.
• O’Brien said BallotTrax is a great way to keep track of where your ballot is after you’ve mailed it or dropped it off. You can register via the Elections and Voter Information page.
• Voters should have been mailed the state-issued “blue book,” pro and con information on ballot issues, separately from their ballots.