Election season is upon Jefferson County, and while a barrage of political ads might tell voters all the reasons why or why not to vote for a given candidate, it can be hard to know exactly how to go about voting in the first place.

For general voting information, the Jefferson County web site www.votejeffco.com can provide a wealth of information. Questions can also be answered by calling 303-271-8111.

Registering

Step one for a prospective voter will be to ensure that he or she is registered to vote. The last deadline to register for the Nov. 6 presidential election was Oct. 9.

Voters can go to the Jeffco Elections Division at 3500 Illinois St., Suite 1100, in

Golden, county motor vehicle offices, any statewide driver's license offices, or go online to www.govotecolorado.com to register, or confirm their status and address. They can also indicate if they would prefer a mail-in ballot.

Be aware, Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler has warned that some 800 people who registered on GoVoteColorado.com on a mobile device between Sept. 14 and 24 did not have their information recorded due a computer glitch. Gessler's office has asked anyone who may be affected, try and confirm their registrations before the election deadline.

Mail-in ballots

Registered voters who confirm that they want to vote by mail will start receiving their ballots on Oct. 15. Registered voters must request a mail-in ballot by Oct. 30 to have one mailed out. The mail-in ballots can be picked up in person from the Elections Division office, or at any county motor vehicle division until Nov. 2.

Once filled out, and sealed in their return envelopes, voters may either pay the postage for the mail-in-ballot, or drop it off at multiple sites across the county, including early voting sites (see below), at any Jeffco municipality city hall during regular business hours, or 24-7 at the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder's Office drop-box (100 Jefferson County Parkway).

Early voting

Jeffco voters can vote early at specific locations, Oct. 22 to 27, and Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.

Hours vary between locations, but they include the county administration building (100 Jefferson County Parkway), Jeffco Department of Motor Vehicles officers in Arvada (6150 N. Wadsworth Blvd. Suite 320), Evergreen (4990 County Hwy. 73), Lakewood (20th and Wadsworth), and the South Service Center (11139 Bradford Rd. in Littleton).

Jeffco libraries at Stanley Lake, Belmar and Columbine will also offer early voting.

Election Day

The polls will open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at local polling places. A list of precinct polling places will be available at www.votejeffco.com.

Voters are encouraged to vote between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the crowds are the lightest. Voters in line to vote before 7 p.m. will still be allowed into the ballot box.

Voters must provide an acceptable form of ID to be allowed in the ballot box. Acceptable ID can include a state driver's license, U.S. passport, military ID, Medicare or Medicaid card, college ID, or even a current copy of a utility bill that lists a current address.