Colorado

Upcoming Elections

2024-06-03 – Registration Deadline (At Registration Drive)

At Registration Drive by Mon Jun 3, 2024

2024-06-17 – Registration Deadline (In Mailstream by)

In the Mail by Mon Jun 17, 2024

2024-06-17 – Registration Deadline (Online by)

Online by Mon Jun 17, 2024

2024-06-17 – Early Voting

From Mon Jun 17, 2024 to Mon Jun 24, 2024

2024-06-25 – Ballot Return Deadline (Received by)

Received by Tue Jun 25, 2024 7:00PM

2024-06-25 – Registration Deadline (Election Day Registration & Voting)

Election Day Registration & Voting Tue Jun 25, 2024

2024-06-25 – Registration Deadline (In-Person – Received by)

In-Person, Received by Tue Jun 25, 2024

Last updated: February 2024

Voting in Colorado

When You Can Vote

All Colorado Voter Service and Polling Centers (VSPCs) are open from 7am to 7pm Mountain time on Election Day.  

VSPC’s are also open for early voting.

Where You Can Vote

Every registered voter in Colorado is automatically mailed a ballot. Voters have ALL the options: drop it off, mail it back, or vote in person:

  • If you are mailing it back, get it in the mail no later than the 8th day before Election Day (Mon. February 26). It must be received by 7pm on Election Day – postmarks don’t count! 
  • Drop it off at any Voter Service Center or 24-hour dropbox in the state. Be in line by 7pm on Election Day. Dropboxes begin to open on Tues. February 27 and remain open 24/7 until 7pm on Election Day.
  • Vote in person at any Voter Service Center in your county; locations begin to open on the 8th day before Election Day (Mon. February 26). Be in line by 7pm on Election Day & you must bring ID with you (acceptable forms of ID listed below).

Find a Voter Service Center or 24-hour dropbox: JustVoteColorado.org

Mail ballot info:

  • The mail ballot does not need to be surrendered if a voter decides to visit a Voter Service Center.

If the mail ballot did not arrive, they can register online by the 8th day before Election Day (Mon. Feb. 26) to still receive a ballot in the mail, or they can go in person to register & vote at a Voter Service Center in their county through 7pm on Election Day.

Registering to Vote

Registration Deadlines

  • For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in Colorado if you:

  • Are a U.S. citizen
  • Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
  • Be a resident of Colorado for 22 days before Election Day

You are NOT eligible to vote in Colorado if:

  • You are in prison for a felony conviction.

Restorative Requirements

  • If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.

You may preregister to vote in Colorado

  • At the age 16

How to register 

  • Colorado State Primary
    • At Registration Drive by Mon Jun 3, 2024
    • Apply Online: Online by Mon Jun 17, 2024
    • In the Mail by Mon Jun 17, 2024
    • In-Person, Received by Tue Jun 25, 2024
    • In Person: Election Day Registration & Voting Tue Jun 25, 2024

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

To be eligible to vote in the Colorado presidential primary election, you must be…

  • a US citizen
  • at least 18 years of age by Election Day: Tue. March 5
  • live in Colorado at least 22 days before Election Day (Mon. February 12th).
  • not currently serving time for a felony conviction

Students, unaffiliated voters, and people without fixed addresses have the right to vote in Colorado.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

To get registered to vote, or update your address, voters can register online at GoVoteColorado.gov by the 8th day before Election Day (Mon. February 26) to receive a ballot in the mail. The voter may use the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number to register online, or their Colorado license/ID/permit.

Voters may visit any Voter Service Center in their county beginning on the 8th day before Election Day (Mon. February 26) to register to vote/ update their registration, and vote/obtain their ballot. The voter must bring an acceptable form of ID with them in order to vote (Colorado license/ID/permit, or any ID from the list of acceptable IDs below). 

Other options

  • Voter can visit their County Clerk’s office to register; if they do so by the 8th day before Election Day (Mon. February 26), the voter will be mailed a ballot.

Voter can print off a voter registration form at GoVoteColorado.gov and return it to their County Clerk’s office by mail, fax, scan and email, or drop it off in person. If the form is received by the Clerk’s office by the 8th day before Election Day (Mon. February 26), the voter will be mailed a ballot.

Early Voting

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

  • In-Person
  • By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

  • In-Person
  • By Mail
Colorado State Primary

Ballot Request:

  • Not Necessary: All Elections in this State are Vote-by-Mail

Ballot Return:

  • Received by Tue Jun 25, 2024 7:00PM

All registered Colorado voters are automatically sent a mail ballot. Colorado does not use absentee ballots. Voters can vote by mail, in-person, or drop off their ballot. Ballots begin to be mailed out to voters 22 days before Election Day (Mon. February 12). 

VOTERS WHO ARE TEMPORARILY OUT-OF-STATE

Voters who need their ballot sent to a temporary address out-of-state or a temporary Colorado address may update the “address to mail ballot” online at GoVoteColorado.gov by Mon. February 26; for out-of-state voters who will need to return the ballot by mail, this update should be made with enough time to receive the ballot & return it by mail by the 8th day before Election Day (Mon. Feb. 26) to ensure it’s counted in time. This address will be used only for their Presidential Primary election ballot; if the voter would like future ballots to be sent to this address, they must make that update at least 8 days before each election. The voter may also update their mailing address to apply to all elections & election-related mail, if it is a mailing address they anticipate remaining the same election-to-election (like a PO Box, for example).

Identification Requirements

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Colorado you should provide one of the following:

  • Your Colorado Driver’s License Number
  • Valid ID card issued by the Department of Revenue

If you do not have these IDs, you may provide:

  • Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number
  • Or, state that you do not have the requested ID number/s

If you are registering to vote for the first time by mail, you will need to provide a copy of a valid ID. Acceptable forms of ID include:

  • Valid Colorado Driver’s License except one issued to an individual that is not a United States citizen
  • Valid ID card issued by the Department of Revenue
  • Valid US Passport
  • Valid Employee Photo ID from Federal or State government
  • Valid Military ID
  • Valid Pilot’s ID
  • Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Government Check, or Paycheck that Shows your current name and address
  • Medicare or Medicaid Card issued by the government
  • Certified Copy of US Birth Certificate
  • Certified Copy of Naturalization Document
  • Valid Student ID
  • Any Valid ID Issued by US Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Valid Tribal ID
  • Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaskan Native blood

Any form of identification listed above that shows your address must show a Colorado address to qualify as an acceptable form of identification. Utility bills should be current within 60 days of the Election.

Voting In-Person

In Colorado, you need to show a valid ID to vote. You can use any ID from this list:

  • Written correspondence from the county sheriff indicating the voter is confined in jail or detention facility
  • Valid ID with photo issued by a Government Agency
  • Valid ID card issued by the Department of Revenue
  • Valid Colorado Driver’s License
  • Valid US Passport
  • Valid Pilot’s ID
  • Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Government Check, or Paycheck that Shows your current name and address
  • Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaskan Native blood
  • Medicare or Medicaid Card Issued by the Government
  • Certified (Copy) of US Birth Certificate
  • Certified (Copy) of Naturalization Document
  • Veteran Health ID Issued by US Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Valid Tribal ID
  • Valid Military ID
  • Valid Student ID
  • Verification that you are a Resident of a Group Residential Facility
  • Verification that you are Committed to the Department of Human Services, and Eligible to Register and Vote

If the ID you use has an address, it must be an address from Colorado. Utility bills should be current within 60 days of the Election. A driver’s license or identification card issued to not lawfully present and temporarily lawfully present individuals under Part 5 of Article 2 of Title 42, C.R.S. is not an acceptable form of ID. Any document produced by Colorado’s statewide voter registration system is not an acceptable form of ID for voting.

IN-PERSON VOTING ID REQUIREMENT

Voters must bring ID with them to vote in person. It does not have to be a photo ID. A full list of acceptable identification can be found at Acceptable Forms of Identification (coloradosos.gov)

MAIL BALLOT ID REQUIREMENT

A voter’s mail ballot may contain information requiring them to enclose a copy of an acceptable ID. They should check to see if their ballot contains this requirement. If it does, they should enclose a photocopy or printed photo of an acceptable ID (black & white is acceptable). 

If they are unable to do so, they can go vote in person with their ID, or they may submit their ballot without the required ID. In that case, they will be contacted by mail with instructions to submit an acceptable ID within 8 days of the Election in order for their ballot to be counted. They may submit the ID via “TXT2CURE” by snapping a picture on their phone and uploading it digitally. They may also submit the ID by fax, mail, or email; it must be received within 8 days after Election Day. 

VOTERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE WITH NO ID

If a voter tries to register to vote in person but does not have verifiable identification, they have the right to vote a provisional ballot. After Election Day, an election official will review the provisional ballot to verify the voter’s eligibility to vote. If the voter is eligible, his or her ballot will be counted. Voters must not be denied the right to vote due to lack of ID.

If You Have Moved Within Your State

A voter who moves within the state can still receive a mail ballot if they update their registration online at Go Vote Colorado by the 8th day before Election Day (by Mon. February 26); they can use the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number or their Colorado license/ID/permit to update their registration. 

A voter may also visit a Voter Service Center in their county beginning by the 8th day before Election Day (by Mon. February 26); to update their registration and vote/obtain a ballot. Find a location at JustVoteColorado.org.

If You Are in the Military or Are an Overseas Voter

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

  • Your Colorado Driver’s License Number
  • U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
  • Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
  • Or, state that you do not have the requested ID number/s

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

  • Your Colorado Driver’s License Number
  • U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
  • Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
  • Or, state that you do not have the requested ID number/s

The voter can register as a Uniformed Overseas Citizens and Absentee Voting Act voter in two ways:

Online:

  • If the voter is updating a current CO voter registration record, the voter can look up their voter record on the Secretary of State’s website and use either the last 4 digits of their SSN or their Colorado license/ID/permit to make the update.
  • The voter should enter in their name, zip code, and birthdate and click “submit.” This should bring up the voter’s voter record. Under voter information, click “change my address.” Enter the voter’s Colorado driver’s license or ID number and click “submit.” At the bottom of the form, the voter will see “UOCAVA Status.” The voter should indicate that they are a military voter, and how they would like their ballot to be delivered (mail, fax, or email). The voter should include their fax number, email address, and/or mailing address that corresponds with the delivery option chosen.
  • See https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/UOCAVA.html 
  • If the voter is registering for the first time, they can complete a voter registration application on GoVoteColorado.gov using their Colorado license/ID/permit if they have been issued one, or if not, the last 4 digits of their SSN. The voter should indicate that they are a military voter and how they would like their ballot to be delivered.

Via Mail, Fax, or Email:

If You Have a Criminal Record

In Colorado, individuals only lose their voting eligibility while they are actively serving a sentence of confinement for a felony conviction. Eligibility to vote is automatically restored once an individual has completed their full term of imprisonment, at which time the individual may register or re-register to vote. Individuals serving misdemeanor sentences, in pre-trial detention, on probation/parole, or with prior criminal records are all eligible to vote.

https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/FAQs/VotingAndConviction.html

Questions about voting in Colorado?

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