Election Policy In Colorado

Election Information
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Time off work for voting
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies, procedures, and enforcement. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee/mail-in voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Colorado:

Poll times[edit]

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Colorado, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time for those who choose to vote in person rather than by mail. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.^[2][3]

Voter registration[edit]

Check your voter registration status here.

In Colorado, an individual can pre-register to vote if they are at least 15 years old. Voters must be at least 18 years old to vote in any election. A voter must be a citizen of the United States and have established residence in Colorado to vote.^[4]

Colorado voters can register to vote through Election Day. However, in order to automatically receive a absentee/mail-in ballot, a voter must register online, through the mail, at a voter registration agency, or at a driver's license examination facility at least eight days prior to Election Day. A voter that registers through a voter registration drive must submit their application no later than 22 days before the election to automatically receive an absentee/mail-in ballot. A voter can register online or submit a form in person or by fax, email, or mail.^[4][5][6]

Automatic registration[edit]

See also: Automatic voter registration

Colorado automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and certain other state agencies.

Online registration[edit]

See also: Online voter registration

Colorado has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration[edit]

See also: Same-day voter registration

Colorado allows same-day voter registration for individuals who vote in person.

Residency requirements[edit]

Colorado law requires 22 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.^[5]

Verification of citizenship[edit]

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Colorado does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.^[7] Six states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Two states, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration[edit]

The site Go Vote Colorado, run by the Colorado Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy[edit]

Early voting[edit]

See also: Early voting

Colorado uses a vote-by-mail system exclusively, so there is no need for explicit absentee or early voting procedures, except for those who cannot or do not wish to vote by mail.

County officials automatically send mail ballots to every elector in active status beginning 18 to 22 days before the election. The last day on which officials can mail a ballot to a voter is eight days before the election.

Colorado law requires county officials to open and operate polling locations called Voter Service and Polling Centers (VSPCs) starting 15 days before the election through Election Day, excluding Sundays. For primary and November coordinated elections, VSPCs must be open starting eight days before the election. Eligible voters can visit any VSPC in their county of residence to do any of the following:^[8][9]

• Void their mail ballot to vote in person,
• Register to vote,
• Update an existing voter registration record,
• Obtain a mail ballot "over-the-counter," or
• Vote in person on paper ballots or accessible voting devices.

Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.

Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

Colorado is an all-mail voting state. A ballot is automatically mailed to each registered voter. Completed ballots must either be returned by mail and received by the county clerk and recorder by 7 p.m. on Election Day or returned at a designated drop-off location or drop box by that same time.^[10]

All states allow for some form of absentee/mail-in voting. Seven states and the District of Columbia had automatic mail-in ballot systems that mandate that all eligible voters receive an absentee/mail ballot by default. An eighth state, Vermont, had such a system for general elections only.

Twenty-eight states allow any eligible voter to cast an absentee/mail-in ballot. The remaining 14 states required voters to provide an excuse to receive and cast an absentee/mail ballot. Acceptable excuses vary by state.

Returning mail ballots[edit]

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Ballots in Colorado can be returned to the voter’s county clerk by mail or in person at designated drop-off locations. Ballots must be received by a county clerk by 7:00 p.m. on election day to be counted. Voters who are unable to return their ballot may designate another person to return it for them.^[2][11]

Eighteen states allow anyone chosen by the voter to return a ballot on the voter's behalf, with certain exceptions, while 16 states allow anyone with certain relationships to the voter to return the voter's ballot. Four states allow only the voter to return the voter's ballot, with certain exceptions, and two states required voters to return their ballots by mail. Ten states and D.C. do not specify who may return ballots.

Drop box availability[edit]

See also: Ballot drop box laws by state

Colorado state law requires election officials to establish drop boxes for each election. State law says that "there must be a minimum number of drop boxes where mail ballots may be deposited equal to at least one drop box for each thirty thousand active registered electors in the county; except that, if the district or political subdivision for which the election is being conducted is less populous than the county, the county clerk and recorder shall designate at least one drop box for each thirty thousand current active registered electors eligible to vote in that election. The drop boxes must be arrayed throughout the county in a manner that provides the greatest convenience to electors. Each drop box must comply with the secretary of state’s current security rules."^[11] Additionally, for presidential primaries and November general elections, county officials "shall establish a drop box on each campus of a state institution of higher education located within the county that has two thousand or more enrolled students."^[11]

Signature requirements and cure provisions[edit]

See also: Cure period for absentee and mail-in ballots

Voters in Colorado are required to sign an affirmation statement on the envelope containing their ballot in order for their vote to be counted. If an election judge determines that the signature on the affirmation statement does not match the voter’s signature on file in the statewide voter registration system, the ballot will be set aside without being counted.^[11]

Colorado law has a cure provision that allows voters to correct an issue with the signature on their ballot. After a signature is found to be deficient, the county clerk must send a notice to the voter explaining the issue within three days and no later than the second day after the election. If the voter returns the form by the eighth day after the election, confirming that they submitted a ballot and providing a copy of his or her identification, the ballot will be counted.^[11]

Thirty-three states have laws that include cure provisions, while 16 states do not. One state, Pennsylvania, allows counties to establish a cure process. Twenty-four states explicitly allow voters to cure their ballots after Election Day, six states require that curing take place on or before Election Day, and three states do not stipulate ballot curing timelines in statute.

Was your ballot counted?[edit]

Voters can use the Go Vote Colorado website provided by the Colorado Secretary of State to check the status of their ballot and update their voter registration information.

Voter identification requirements[edit]

See also: Voter ID in Colorado

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Colorado requires voters to present non-photo identification when voting in person. If voting by mail for the first, a voter may also need to return a photocopy of his or her identification with their mail-in ballot. Click here for more information.

The following list of accepted forms of identification was current as of October 2025. Click here for the most current information, sourced directly from the Office of the Colorado Secretary of State.

• Note: SB 1, signed into law on May 12, 2025, specified that tribal IDs issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, or another federal agency were also valid identification.

Thirty-six states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 24 require voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 12 accept other forms of identification. The remaining 14 states do not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.

Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, passports, and military identification cards.

Provisional ballot rules[edit]

Voters in Colorado are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.^[14]

1) If the voter’s "eligibility to vote is not immediately established on Election Day," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

2) If the "statewide voter registration system shows that the voter already voted in the election," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

3) If the "voter did not present an approved form of identification when required," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

In each of the above circumstances, the voter must "complete a provisional ballot affidavit that includes a voter registration form."

A provisional ballot is counted if the voter completes the provisional ballot affidavit and the voter’s eligibility is confirmed by an election official.

A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:^[14][15]

• If the voter votes in the wrong county and chooses "to vote a provisional ballot rather than vote in the correct county";
• If the voter’s eligibility to vote cannot be verified; and
• If the voter cast two ballots in the same election.

According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s website, "Provisional ballots are verified and counted after regular ballots. Counting is completed no later than 9 days after a primary, general, odd-year, or coordinated election. The Secretary of State may also designate an alternate period of time if it is deemed necessary."^[14]

After casting a provisional ballot, the voter is given a receipt that explains how the voter can determine the status of his or her provisional ballot.^[14]

Primary election type[edit]

See also: Primary elections in Colorado

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election.

Colorado utilizes a semi-closed primary system. According to Section 1-7-201 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, "An eligible unaffiliated elector, including a preregistrant who is eligible under section 1-2-101 (2)(c), is entitled to vote in the primary election of a major political party without affiliating with that political party."^[16][17]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting[edit]

In Colorado, employers must allow employees up to two hours to vote in an election, remunerated despite absence, and at the beginning or end of employees’ shifts if so requested. Employees must give notice at least one day before the election in which they are requesting time off to vote.^[18]

Twenty-eight states require employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states, policies vary as to whether that time off must be paid and how much notice must be given.

Electioneering[edit]

Colorado state law says: "No person shall do any electioneering on the day of any election, or during the time when voting is permitted for any election, within any polling location or in any public street or room or in any public manner within one hundred feet of any building in which a polling location is located."^[19]

Electioneering includes:^[19]

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In Colorado, people convicted of a felony are disenfranchised so long as they are incarcerated; those on parole, probation, or with unpaid restitution and fines regain their right to vote.^[20]

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.^[21]

Voter list maintenance[edit]

All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls, or check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).^[22] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to a change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.^[23]

When names can be removed from the voter list[edit]

Colorado law authorizes county election officials to remove individuals from the voter registration list if the individual:^[24]

• Remains on the inactive voter list through two general elections,
• Is registered in more than one precinct,
• Dies,
• Is convicted of a felony, or
• Confirms in writing a change of address to a different state, or an election official in another state gives notice that the individual has registered to vote in another state and the name and birth date, or the name and social security number of the elector match.

Inactive voter list rules[edit]

If mail sent to a voter by a Colorado election official is returned undeliverable, state law requires the county election official to place the voter on the inactive registration list and send them a confirmation card requesting that the voter verify or update their address information. Inactive voters are authorized to vote under Colorado law. If a voter remains on the inactive list through the next two general elections, their registration is to be canceled.^[25]

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)[edit]

See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records and other sources, to provide member states with reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Members fund ERIC. New members pay a one-time membership fee of $25,000, which is reserved for technology upgrades and other unanticipated expenses. Members also pay annual dues. Annual dues cover operating costs and are based, in part, on the citizen voting age population in each state."^[26]

Twenty-five states are participating members in the ERIC program. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have joined and participated in ERIC at some point.^[27]

As of August 2025, Colorado was participating in the ERIC program.

Post-election auditing[edit]

Colorado state law requires post-election audits. County election officials conduct a risk-limiting audit (RLA). The secretary of state selects the risk limit for the election being audited, which includes a target contest with at least one statewide contest and one other contest. "The RLA will continue until the risk limit for the target contests is met or until a full hand count results. The audit report submitted to the Secretary of State must include any discrepancies found and the corresponding ballot images," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The audit is conducted before the canvass. The audit report must be submitted to the secretary of state’s office by 5 p.m. one day before the canvass deadline.^[28][29]

Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.^[30][31]

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia require some form of post-election audit by law. Of these, 35 states and the District of Columbia require traditional post-election audits, while seven states require risk-limiting post-election audits, and seven states require some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.^[32][30]

Election administration authorities[edit]

State election officials[edit]

In Colorado, the secretary of state is the chief election official. There is no state board of elections or equivalent authority. The secretary of state is elected by popular vote every four years.^[33]

Local election officials[edit]

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

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Election policy ballot measures[edit]

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Colorado ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Colorado.

1. Colorado Retention Elections of Justices and Judges Amendment (2014)
2. Colorado Yes or No Elections Initiative (2014)
3. Colorado Two-Stage Election System Initiative (2014)
4. Colorado Proposition 131, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)

Recent legislation related to election administration in Colorado[edit]

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Colorado. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official bill name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Sponsor party
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

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Ballot access[edit]

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Colorado

In order to get on the ballot in Colorado, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Colorado. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Colorado

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Colorado's eight United States Representatives and 100 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.^{[34][35][36][37]}

Colorado was apportioned eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, one more than it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Colorado after the 2020 census.

State process[edit]

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

On November 6, 2018, Colorado voters approved two constitutional amendments, Amendment Y and Amendment Z, establishing separate non-politician commissions for congressional and state legislative redistricting. Each commission consists of four members belonging to the state's largest political party, four members belonging to the state's second-largest party, and four members belonging to no party. Commission members are appointed by a panel of three judges selected by the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. The amendment requires at least eight of the commission's 12 members, including at least two members not belonging to any political party, to approve a map.^[38]

The Colorado Constitution requires that state legislative district boundaries "be contiguous, and that they be as compact as possible based on their total perimeter." In addition, "to the extent possible, districts must also preserve the integrity of counties, cities, towns and–where doing so does not conflict with other goals–communities of interest." There are no similar requirements for congressional districts.^[39][40]

Contact information[edit]

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Colorado can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Colorado County Election Offices

Click here for a list

Secretary of State

1700 Broadway Suite 550

Denver, CO 80290

Phone: 303-894-2200

Fax: 303-869-4861

Email: elections@sos.state.co.us

Website: http://www.sos.state.co.us/

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov

Website: https://www.eac.gov

Ballotpedia's election coverage[edit]

U.S. Congress special elections

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State legislatures

State ballot measures

Local ballot measures

State judges

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Recall

See also[edit]

• Election laws and legislation in Colorado
• State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
• Factors affecting the speed of ballot counting and delivery of unofficial election results
• Voting in Colorado
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Colorado
• Redistricting in Colorado

Elections in Colorado[edit]

External links[edit]

• Colorado Secretary of State - Elections
• Go Vote Colorado

Footnotes[edit]

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