Eagle County clerk spells out key changes, deadlines ahead of June 30 primary election

Eagle County Clerk and Recorder Becky Close late last week outlined all the essential information for the Tuesday, June 30, Colorado Primary Election, including all of the major registration and voting deadlines and the relocation of all central election operations to the new, state-of-the-art Eagle County Commons building in Edwards.

As Close pointed out in a press release last week, “Primary elections are a vital part of our democratic process, and they are unique because your party affiliation determines which ballot you will receive in the mail.”

As such, the deadline for voters already affiliated with a political party to change or withdraw their affiliation in order to vote in a different party’s primary election is June 8. Voters can change their affiliation by updating their voter registration at http://www.GoVoteColorado.gov.

Physically, the biggest change this primary season will be the county’s central election operations moving from the town of Avon municipal building to the new Eagle County Commons building in Edwards. Purpose-built for secure elections, the new Edwards facility replaces the Avon vote center, where there will still be a 24-hour drop box at the town of Avon municipal building.

During a tour of the new voting center in the Eagle County Commons building in Edwards last month, Close, who is running for the office as an Unaffiliated candidate in November, talked about how much more room for equipment and how much overall transparency has been built into the new facility compared to previous vote centers, where space was limited and cramped.

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“Our word this year has become ‘pivot’, because you don’t know what complexities are coming at you or what changes are coming down the pipe,” Close said of the new facility, which has viewing windows, cameras everywhere and plenty of room for the seamless storage of election equipment. “So this space just allows us to pivot that much more gracefully.”

While in-person voting will take place on the first floor of the Eagle County Commons building — and there’s a ballot drop box by the front door as well — the massive second floor is entirely dedicated to election services and ballot processing, Close said. She was then asked how the new facility will help with all of the increased scrutiny of elections and election misinformation spreading on the Internet and elsewhere these days.

“It just helps us all sleep better at night, right?” Close said. “We’ve got cameras everywhere. Everything’s under scrutiny. And we can just constantly show up and say, ‘Yep, we’re doing the right thing, and we know that we are. And it was designed for election watchers to be able to come and watch the process.”

On the tour, Eagle County Commissioner Matt Scherr noted that “elections these days have become much more political than they have been really more functional. We know just from data that U.S. elections are some of or the best in the world, and in Colorado, we’re called the gold standard because of all the things that we do.”

The new election center will just take that up to a new level of trust entirely, he added.

“Our clerks around the state have already been doing tons of things (for security and transparency) well ahead of this being politicized, and they continue to talk to local people to invite them in,” Scherr said. “So, to me, what (the new voting center) does is going those extra steps (toward) security and transparency.”

Deputy Eagle County Clerk and Recorder Stacey Jones said the new facility will make the key functions of democracy so much more accessible for county residents and the “bipartisan teams of volunteer election officials” who are vital to the process of running a local election.

Here are some key facts and deadlines for Eagle County’s June 30 Primary Election:

Understanding Your Primary Ballot
In Colorado, your party affiliation dictates which ballot you receive:

• Major Party Voters: Registered Democrats and Republicans will receive your respective party’s ballot only.
• Unaffiliated Voters: You will receive both major party ballots. You may only vote and return one ballot. If you return both, neither will be counted.
• Minor Party Voters: You will receive a ballot only if your party is holding a primary election. For 2026, the Libertarian and Unity party ballots will contain only one contest each. Voters affiliated with the American Constitution, Approval Voting, Center, Forward, Green, and No Labels parties will not be mailed a ballot, as those minor parties are not participating in the Primary Election.
• Unaffiliated voters may contact the County Clerk to request a Unity Party ballot.

Party Affiliation Deadline: June 8
Colorado does not have a voter registration deadline, but June 8 is the deadline for voters who are already affiliated with a party to change or withdraw their affiliation if they wish to vote in a different party’s primary election.

Voters can change their party affiliation by updating their voter registration at http://www.GoVoteColorado.gov, select “Find my Registration,” and select “Edit” to change party affiliation.

Sample Ballots
Sample (composite) ballots, including all districts and races for Eagle County, are available in English and Spanish on the Clerk’s website. Voters will receive the ballot style containing only those districts and races specific to their residential address.

2026 Election Calendar and Deadlines

• June 8: Ballots mailed to all active registered voters. Also the deadline for affiliated voters to change or withdraw their party affiliation in order to vote in a different party’s primary.
• June 22: Last recommended day to return your ballot via USPS (postage: $0.78 or one Forever stamp). Last day to register or update your registration to receive a replacement ballot by mail.
• June 22: Vote centers open in Eagle, Edwards, and El Jebel.
• June 25: Vote center opens in Vail.
• June 30 — Election Day: All vote centers are open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. to be counted; postmarks do not count.

In-Person Vote Center Locations

• Eagle: Eagle County Building, 500 Broadway
• Edwards (New Hub): Eagle County Commons, 410 Miller Ranch Road
• El Jebel: Eagle County Community Center, 20 Eagle County Drive
• Vail: Vail Grand View Room (Lionshead Structure), 395 S. Frontage Road

Services Available at Vote Centers

• Voter registration (up to and including Election Day, June 30, 2026)
• Ballot drop-off boxes
• Accessible voting
• In-person voting (English or Spanish)
• Replacement ballots

Voters who change their registration after June 22 must visit a Vote Center to obtain a ballot.

Serve Your Community: Become an Election Judge
Eagle County is currently hiring Election Judges to assist with signature verification, ballot processing, and voter assistance. This is a paid, non-partisan position that offers a unique opportunity to see the integrity of our election process firsthand. Training is provided, and assignments range from a few days to two weeks. Sign up here. 

Confirm Your Registration
To ensure you receive the correct ballot, please confirm your registration, residential address, and mailing address at GoVoteColorado.gov. For more information on the Eagle County election process, visit http://www.eaglecounty.us/vote.