How to register to vote, cast your ballot and more FAQs about Colorado’s 2024 election
Election day is Nov. 5. Here’s what you need to know to participate.
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Election day is Nov. 5, and voters across Colorado will be casting ballots that will decide the outcome of the presidential race, congressional contests, statewide ballot measures, legislative battles and a myriad of local issues.
County clerks can start mailing out ballots Friday, Oct. 11.
As part of our 2024 election guide, we’re here to answer some questions about voting and how the election works.
How do I register to vote?
Colorado has automatic voter registration if you get a driver’s license or have a similar interaction with state government. But you may also register online with a valid driver’s license, Colorado identification card or Social Security number.
If you don’t have one of those forms of identification, that’s OK. Simply fill out a paper form and affirm under penalty of perjury that you are at least 18 years old, have lived in Colorado for at least 22 days and that you are a U.S. citizen. The form then must be scanned and then mailed or delivered to your county clerk. You may also mail the form back to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
Is there a deadline to register to vote?
No.
Coloradans may register in person or online to vote through Election Day. To receive a ballot in the mail, you must be registered by Oct. 28, and you will have to return it to a drop box or vote center.
How do I check whether I’m registered to vote?
Check your voter registration at govotecolorado.gov by entering your name, ZIP code and date of birth. You may also change your address online.
If your registration says “inactive,” that’s because your ballot was returned as undeliverable in a past election. You may re-register online or by submitting a paper request.
The Colorado Constitution requires citizenship to vote. How is citizenship checked in voter registration?
To register to vote in Colorado, people must provide their Colorado driver’s license number, the last four digits of their Social Security number or present another valid form of identification. If the form of ID doesn’t confirm someone’s citizenship, they must affirm under the penalty of perjury that they are a U.S. citizen.
It is a federal felony to knowingly lie on a voter registration form, punishable by up to five years in prison or deportation for those living in the U.S. unlawfully.
Colorado does not verify people’s citizenship status when they register to vote. However, after a person registers, state elections officials say they check their voter database against numerous other databases to ensure the voter’s eligibility.
Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said more than 98% of Colorado voters have a driver’s license on file. People cannot use a noncitizen Colorado driver’s license as part of their voter registration, meaning that 98% of voters’ citizenship is verified through their driver’s licenses alone.
Crane said fewer than 2% of Colorado voters have just a Social Security number attached to their voter files, and only about 4,000 voters have neither a driver’s license or Social Security number on file.
There were 3.9 million active, registered voters in Colorado as of Oct. 1. There were 4.5 million total voters, including inactive and preregistered voters.
When will my Colorado ballot arrive?
Oct. 11 is the first day that ballots will go out in the mail to registered voters and must all be mailed by Oct. 18. If you want to receive a ballot in the mail, you must register by Oct. 28.
If your ballot doesn’t arrive, contact your county clerk.
How do I return my ballot?
Once you’ve filled out your ballot, sealed it in the return envelope and signed and dated the envelope, put it in the mail (with postage affixed) or take it to one of your county’s drop boxes or a voting center. (Most voters drop their ballots off.)
Your ballot must be received by 7 p.m. Nov. 5. The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office says ballots should be delivered in person, not mailed, after Oct. 29.
Colorado law allows people to drop off as many as 10 ballots, so you can give your ballot to a friend or family member, or take theirs to a drop box or voting center to return.
How do I know my ballot will be counted?
You may sign up to use BallotTrax, the state’s ballot tracking system, and you’ll receive an email, text or both when your ballot is accepted.
What if I want to vote in person?
Hundreds of voting centers across the state will open by Oct. 21 at the latest (some counties may open earlier). Contact your county clerk for nearby locations and hours where you may vote in person. Polls are open Saturday, Nov. 2; Monday, Nov. 4; and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5.
Do I need identification to vote in Colorado?
If you vote in person, you must present identification such as a driver’s license, U.S. passport or other identification on this list. If you are voting by mail for the first time, you may also need to include a copy of ID with your mail ballot.
Your clerk will provide instructions with your mail ballot if you need to return an a copy of identification included.
Where can I find more information?
GoVoteColorado.gov is the state’s voting information hub.
Where do I get information about how to vote on judges?
The Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation has a board that evaluates judges and a website with information about the process as well as links to current and past judicial evaluations. You may search by individual judges there.
Can you write in a candidate?
Yes, but you can’t write in any name if you want it to count. Write-in candidates in Colorado must submit petitions and be approved by the Secretary of State’s Office.
A full list of candidates, including write-in candidates, can be found here.
