Denver election officials say the vote counting process it is likely to extend for days after Election Day due to high interest and a long ballot in the city.

But voters can help Denver Division of Elections to provide a clearer picture of Tuesday night’s election results by turning in ballots earlier, either over the weekend or on Monday.

“Because so many ballots come in at the same time on Election Day, it could cause a delay,” Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office spokeswoman Mikayla Ortega said Friday. “If you vote on Election Day, your ballot probably won’t be counted until the next day or the next few days.”

In Denver, tens of thousands of voters typically wait until the last day to return ballots or vote.

This year, the clerk’s office had received 165,969 ballots from Denver voters as of Thursday, according to the data the city’s online scoreboard. That’s out of 468,570 active registered voters — good for a 35 percent turnout rate so far among those who have received ballots.

The clerk’s office is projecting a final voter turnout of between 80 and 90 percent for this election, Ortega said. In the 2020 presidential election, 87 percent of active Denver voters cast ballots, according to final results reported by the clerk’s office. (This is slightly higher than an actual turnout figure that would account for inactive voters who are still on the rolls.)

Denver uses a multi-tiered ballot processing system that includes mechanical sorting, manual signature verification by trained staff and manipulation to prepare anonymous ballots for scanning and tabulation once voting closes Tuesday at 7 p.m. .

“It’s a lot of work,” Ortega said — involving preparing each double-sided, three-page ballot to be tabulated. “It takes a long time, which is why we’re pushing people to vote early.”

The deadline to send ballots back to the Division of Elections in time to be counted has passed, but there are still several ways to turn them in or vote before Tuesday.

Voters may submit their sealed and signed ballots numerous delivery boxes scattered around the city or to bring them to one of more than two dozen voter service and polling centers it works now. They can also get replacements for damaged ballots, register to vote, and vote in person at those centers.

Another 15 centers will open on Monday and Tuesday. A map of all polling locations and in-person voting locations can be found at denvergov.org/Maps/map/electionservices.