All ballots must be received - not postmarked - by November 8 deadline to count.

The 2016 General Election is just days away and the U.S. Postal Service is encouraging Colorado voters to mail in their completed ballots now to allow for timely receipt and processing by local election officials.

“We are urging all voters to mail their completed ballots as soon as possible to enable delivery and tabulation at the local level,” said Colorado/Wyoming District Manager Rick Pivovar. “Millions of voters are entrusting their ballots to the mail and our employees have been helping deliver another successful election season.”

So far in this general election, the United States Postal Service has successfully delivered nearly 3.1 million ballots and several millions of pieces of election mail into the hands of Colorado voters. Over the last two weeks, the Postal Service has been busy collecting, processing and delivering hundreds of thousands of completed ballots without delay to county clerks and recorders.

According to state law, a Postmark doesn’t count. The ballot must be received by the County Clerk on or before 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 to be counted in this year’s election.

All mail-in ballots require postage, and in some instances, extra postage because of the ballot’s weight.

Voters should contact their local County Clerk and Recorder to obtain information about voting by mail, alternate voting options, and other rules pertaining to their jurisdiction.

“The U.S. Mail serves as a secure, efficient and effective means for Colorado residents to participate in the electoral process, said Pivovar.

Additional information can be found at usps.com/electionmail.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.