D11 Bond Vote Is Tuesday — How to Return Your Ballot Before November 3
If you have a ballot at home, today and tomorrow are the days to return it. The November 3 election is two days away, and it includes the D11 school bond — a $775 million measure that would be the first major capital investment in Colorado Springs School District 11 since 2004.
Colorado mail ballots must be postmarked by November 3, which makes today — Sunday — the last realistic day to drop one in the mail. Drop boxes close when polls open Tuesday morning and reopen Tuesday until close of election. For most families, the easiest option is a drop box this weekend rather than trying to get to a polling place during the work week.
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Advertise hereHow to Return Your D11 Ballot
There are three ways to return a Colorado mail ballot before the November 3 deadline:
Drop box: Official El Paso County drop boxes are open now and are the most straightforward option for returning a ballot this weekend. Drop box locations are available at d11.org/bond and at govotecolorado.gov. No postage required, no waiting in line, and drop boxes are available 24 hours in many locations.
Mail: Ballots mailed through the U.S. Postal Service must be postmarked by November 3. If you're mailing today, Sunday service is limited — confirm your local post office's pickup schedule or use a blue postal collection box with a Monday pickup time before mailing. Given the tight timeline, a drop box is the lower-risk choice for most people.
In person: El Paso County voters can vote in person at any county polling place on Election Day, November 3. Bring your mail ballot to surrender it if you received one, or request a new ballot at the polling place. Voter Service and Polling Centers are open Tuesday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
What's on the Ballot
The D11 bond is listed as Issue 4A on the November 3 ballot. It authorizes D11 to issue up to $775 million in bonds for capital construction and improvements to school facilities across the district.
The projects the bond would fund include: replacement of Holmes Middle School with a new facility, HVAC system repairs and upgrades across aging school buildings, updates to Palmer High School and Coronado High School, and library and classroom renovations at multiple campuses.
D11 has not passed a capital bond since 2004. A previous bond measure, in 2021, failed by 11 votes. The district has been operating with deferred maintenance on facilities for more than two decades, and officials have cited aging HVAC systems and deteriorating infrastructure as the most urgent needs.
The estimated cost to homeowners is approximately $260 per year for average assessed property values, based on reporting by KKTV. Individual cost depends on your property's assessed value.
Why This Weekend Matters
Voter turnout in school bond elections tends to be lower than in general elections, which makes each individual ballot more consequential. The 2021 bond failure by 11 votes is a vivid illustration of how close these outcomes can be.
For families with children in D11 schools — or who are considering D11 schools in the coming years — the bond outcome has a direct effect on the condition of the buildings where their kids spend most of their weekdays. HVAC failures mean missed school days. Aging facilities affect the learning environment. The bond is a real-dollar question about infrastructure, not an abstract policy debate.
Whether you support or oppose the measure, the practical message is the same: return your ballot before the window closes. Today is the best day to do it.
Quick Reference: Ballot Return Options
| Method | Deadline | Where to Find Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Drop box | Closes Election Day evening | d11.org/bond or govotecolorado.gov |
| Must be postmarked by Nov 3 | Confirm post office pickup schedule; drop boxes are safer now | |
| In-person voting | Nov 3, 7 AM–7 PM | Any El Paso County Voter Service and Polling Center |
What's Next
Election results for the November 3 ballot, including the D11 bond vote, will be released Tuesday evening. COS Parenting will cover the outcome on November 4. In the meantime, if you have questions about your ballot or polling place, contact El Paso County Elections at govotecolorado.gov.
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