Colorado

Colorado Voter Service and Polling Centers (VSPCs) are open from 7am to 7pm Mountain time on election day.  VSPCs are also open for early voting for at least fifteen days leading up to election day (excluding Sundays).

Every voter in Colorado is automatically mailed a ballot. Voters can mail in their completed ballots, drop off a completed ballot at any VSPC or vote at any VSPC in their county. Voters can also drop off their ballots at a secure drop-box. To find a VSPC or drop-box, visit: www.justvotecolorado.org

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 a resident of Colorado
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
• Be a resident of Colorado for 30 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 Coordinated Elections
  • Apply Online: Online by Mon Oct 30, 2023
  • In the Mail by Mon Oct 30, 2023
  • In-Person, Received by Tue Nov 7, 2023 7:00PM MST
  • In Person: Election Day Registration & Voting Tue Nov 7, 2023
  • At Registration Drive by Mon Oct 16, 2023

The voter may register online at www.govotecolorado.gov, if the voter’s signature is stored in digital form with the Department of State or if the voter provides the last four digits of their Social Security Number and that number can be validated through the Colorado Department of Revenue.

If the voter does not have a Colorado license or ID, or does not use their Social Security Number to register, the voter may complete and print the voter registration form.  Printable voter registration forms are available at the Colorado Secretary of State’s website (www.govotecolorado.gov), the county clerk and recorder’s office, and any federal post office that provides voter registration applications. The voter may then mail, fax, or scan and email their completed and signed form to their county clerk and recorder’s office. A list of all county clerk and recorder’s offices in the state of Colorado can be found  here..

The voter must be a Colorado resident for at least 22 days before an election and must list a residence address for voter registration purposes.

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

• In-Person
• By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Colorado Coordinated Elections

Ballot Request:

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

Ballot Return:

• Postmarked On or Before Election Day and Received by Wed Nov 15, 2023 7:00PM MST
• In-Person, Received by Tue Nov 7, 2023 7:00PM MST
• Email, Online or Fax by Tue Nov 7, 2023 7:00PM MST

All Colorado voters are automatically sent a mail ballot. Colorado does not use absentee ballots. Voters can mail in a completed ballot, or drop their ballot off at any VSPC or ballot drop-box. Voters can also vote in-person at VSPCs for at least fifteen days leading up to the election (excluding Sundays).

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.

When voting in person at a VSPC a voter must present a form of identification. It does not have to be a photo ID. A full list of acceptable identification can be found at justvotecolorado.org

If a voter tries to register to vote on Election Day but does not have verifiable identification, they may 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.

A voter who moves within the state can still receive a mail ballot if they update their registration online at govotecolorado.gov, (if they have a Colorado driver’s license or ID card) or by mail through Monday, October 31, 2022.  Voters can also change their address in person at any Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC) in the voter’s new county of residence up to and on Election Day; although they will not receive a mail ballot, they can vote in person when registering at the VSPC.  Visit www.justvotecolorado.org to find a VSPC in your county and to verify its hours.

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:

1. Online (requires a valid Colorado driver’s license or ID):

The voter can look up his/her voter record on the Secretary of State’s website (https://www.sos.state.co.us/voter/pages/pub/olvr/findVoterReg.xhtml). 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.

2. Via Mail, Fax, or Email:The voter can complete and submit the Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Federal Post Card Application.  Print, sign, and return the form to the voter’s county clerk and recorder’s office. A list of all county clerk and recorder’s offices in the state of Colorado can be found here.

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. Individuals serving misdemeanor sentences, in pre-trial detention, on probation/parole, or with prior criminal records are all eligible to vote.