In a recently acknowledged feat of electoral synergy, Arapahoe County's collaborative efforts with neighboring Adams and Denver counties have drawn national attention. The Election Center, a national association dedicated to election officials, bestowed an award upon Arapahoe County for its commitment to cross-county cooperation that has significantly improved voting access. Arapahoe, alongside its collaborators, has pioneered the development of shared vote centers and ballot drop boxes, successfully enhancing the electoral process along their mutual borders.

The practical outcomes of such an arrangement were crystal clear during the elections of 2024, wherein nearly 47,000 individuals cast their votes using these shared services. Such high usage rates underscored the tangible benefits of the collaborative project. Voters had the option to utilize a 24-hour drop box or visit a vote center like the one at Martin Luther King Jr. Library in Aurora, an area that touches all three participating counties. This flexibility allowed for voters to submit ballots specific to their precincts, avoiding the pitfalls of provisional or generalized ballots. As per Arapahoe County, the partnerships not only work, but thrive, seen through the 2,794 in-person votes at these unique Vote Service and Polling Centers (VSPCs), and more than 44,000 voters who leveraged the 24-hour drop boxes.

Last month, the spirit of this collective effort was well-represented when Arapahoe County Elections Director Bill Mast joined representatives from Adams and Denver counties at a conference in Arkansas. They were there to elucidate the finer points of their winning "Prioritizing Voters over County Lines" Professional Practice Paper. This initiative is more than a mere gesture of goodwill, it's an operational blueprint that could serve as a model for counties across the United States considering similar endeavors.