Voting Rights

Find the information you need to exercise your right to vote, learn about ACLU of Colorado endorsed ballot initiatives, and help us protect the vote and increase voter turnout.

Here's what you need to know at a glance:

• Find your ballot drop-off locations and in-person voting locations.
• Right to same-day voter registration. Go in-person to newly register or change your voting address. You can check your registration here.
• Track the status of your ballot, including when it is processed, using the Secretary of State's BallotTrax system.
• Report issues voting or intimidation to 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682) or text 303-502-9038.
• Report online voter disinformation to reportdisinfo.org
• If your ballot is rejected due to an error, like a signature discrepancy, you have a right to correct or "cure" your ballot by texting "Colorado" to 2VOTE (28683)
• So long as you are not currently incarcerated for a felony, voters with criminal records can vote. 
• Voters with disabilities with guardians or who are living in an institution can vote.
• Voters experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity can vote.
• Voters displaced by Colorado wildfires have a right to an emergency electronic ballot. Contact your county clerk.
• Help others vote. Coloradans can return up to 10 ballots during an election cycle. You must return collected ballots to a drop-box the same day. 16 and 17-year-olds may also participate.

How to return your ballot: 

1. Drop-box: Locations are secure and monitored and emptied by bipartisan, official election workers. Available 24/7.
2. In-person: Vote at a Voter Service Polling Center in the county in which they are registered. Also receive assistance, replacement ballots, and register to vote.
3. USPS: Two stamps are recommended.

Voter Registration Easy, Accessible, and Safe:

1. Eligible Colorado voters may register online.
2. If you live away from your residential home (eg., college student, caretaker, traveler) you can update your mailing address online.
3. You can register up to, and on, Election Day. If you are in line to vote in your county by 7 p.m. but still need to register — stay in line. You have the right to register and vote.

Report issues of suppression or intimidation and direct voter questions to:

1. 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682).
2. Your County Clerk
3. Email us at: [email protected]

Important Resources:

1. GoVoteColorado.gov: The Colorado Secretary of State's website with voter and candidate information, including online voter registration and signup for ballot tracking.
2. JustVoteColorado.org: A nonpartisan, statewide election protection resource including 'know your rights' information and voting locations.

Ensure your vote is counted: 

1. Vote early.
2. Properly sign and date your ballot. Use a black or blue pen.
3. Signup for BallotTrax to get email or text updates on your ballot.

VOTER FAQ

Am I eligible to vote in Colorado? 

You are eligible to vote in the general election if you:

• Will be 18 years of age or older at the time of the general election
• Are a United States citizen
• Have resided in Colorado 22 days immediately before the election at which you intend to vote
• Are not currently serving a sentence of confinement or detention for a felony conviction
• If you are absent while in military service or while attending any institution of higher education, you are still eligible to vote in the state of Colorado. Click here to learn more.

How do I register to Vote? 

• Voters may register through, and on, Election Day. Colorado has same-day voter registration.
• If you have a Colorado driver's license or ID, you can register to vote online via the Secretary of State's website. Click here to register online.
• Submit a paper application through the mail, at a voter registration agency, or at a local driver's license examination facility. Click here for the PDF registration form.
• Register in-person at a Voter Service Polling Center (VSPC) in your county. Click here to find VSPCs in your county. 

Tip: If you are in line to register to vote by 7 p.m. — don't get out of line. You have the right to register and vote.
Did you know? Same-day voter registration policies help increase voter participation. By eliminating arbitrary and confusing deadlines, working people, caretakers, young people, and first-time voters have fewer hurdles to navigate in exercising their right to vote.

How do I view my voter registration? How do I make changes to my voter registration?

• Access your voter registration file online via the Secretary of State website.
• You can check to make sure your registration, including your mailing address, is up-to-date. 
• You can make changes to your voter registration but if you wish to change your name, you must do so in person at a VSPC or via a paper registration form.

Tip: Get familiar with the districts you live in. In Colorado, your online voter registration file shows the districts you live in from House of Representatives to state senate to university regent to municipal government.

How will I receive my ballot?

• In Colorado, all actively registered voters are automatically mailed a ballot to the address with which they are registered. 

I still haven't received my ballot. What should I do? 

• First, make sure that your voter registration mailing address is up-to-date by checking your registration online.
• If your registration is current but you still haven't received your ballot, contact your county clerk. There may be a delay or your county clerk may work with you to issue a replacement ballot that you can receive in the mail or pick up at a polling center, depending on your local county.

Reminder: Colorado voters can either vote on the ballot that is mailed to them or they may vote in person. Voters can only vote on one ballot. If you cannot remember how you voted, check with your county clerk to be sure.

What's on my ballot?

Coloradans get to vote on many ballot questions, which provides an opportunity for direct democracy — voters decide directly on policies — but this can be overwhelming. Here are resources to help navigate your ballot. 

• Ballotpedia

Reminder: ACLU does not endorse political candidates or parties but does take positions on policies affecting civil liberties and civil rights, and seeks to educate voters on the candidates' positions on key civil liberties issues.

How do I vote and return the ballot I received in the mail?

• Use black or blue ink. If you "spoil" your ballot by mismarking it, contact your county clerk to receive a replacement ballot or discard the ballot securely and go vote in person.
• Follow the instructions on the ballot sleeve. Make sure the ballot is signed and dated properly and that the sleeve is sealed.

You can return your ballot via:

• Drop-box: per the Secretary of State, the best option for voters is to drop off ballots at designated county drop-boxes.
  • Locations are secure and monitored and emptied by bipartisan, official election workers. Available 24/7.
• Drive-through drop-off: Check your local county.
• At a Voter Service and Polling Center in your county.
• USPS: Two stamps are recommended.
• Find drop-boxes, Voter Service and Polling Centers, drive-through ballot drop-offs. 

Can I return ballots on behalf of fellow Coloradans? 

• Yes, you may return up to 10 ballots per election cycle, including your own.

Can I vote in person? How can I vote in person?

• Colorado voters have the right to vote in person at a Voter Service &  Polling Center in their county. If you have already voted the ballot that was mailed to you by returning via drop-box or USPS then you cannot vote in person. If you cannot remember how you voted, check with your county clerk.
• Colorado requires in-person voters to bring ID. Click here to view the many forms of ID that are accepted, including Medicare cards and utility bills.
• If you forget these forms of ID or are otherwise denied or challenged, you have a right to sign an affidavit attesting to your identity and vote. If you are denied, questioned, or challenged, you have the right to vote a provisional ballot.
• Voters have the right to bring in an assistor so long as that person is not the voter's boss or union representative.
• In-person voters have the right to assistance from poll workers if they have disabilities and, in some counties, the right to language assistance. Check with your local county.
• Check with your county clerk for local COVID precautions and programs.

I'm experiencing voter intimidation or harassment at my polling center. What should I do? 

• You have a right to cast your ballot free from intimidation, harassment, and coercion.
• Within 100 feet of a building in which a Voter Service & Polling Center or ballot drop-box is located, you have the right to vote or wait without anyone trying to influence your vote.
• If you witness someone trying to influence votes within 100 feet of these locations, please call the toll-free Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682). 

I'm experiencing or witnessing voter intimidation and/or disinformation, what should I do? 

• Prioritize your safety. Document as much detail as possible. Report to:
  • Election Protection hotline: call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682) or text 303-502-9038
  • Your county clerk
  • Email us at: [email protected]
• Report online voter disinformation to reportdisinfo.org. Do not engage with the post/content as this will just increase the number of people who see it — even if you are debunking.
• How to spot voter disinformation and intimidation:
  • A post with false dates, deadlines, locations, or eligibility requirements. Usually in a threatening tone that may invoke the threat of prosecution or criminality.
• Disinformation and intimidation can happen anywhere, not just online or near a polling place
  • Look out for flyers or lawn signs with false information.
  • Voter intimidation can take place in many forms and is dependent on the context and confluence of circumstances. Regardless, voter intimidation is illegal. Suspected voter intimidation should be reported.

How do I know if my vote has been counted?

• Signup for BallotTrax to get updates via email and/or text on the status of your ballot, including when your ballot is received by your county and when it has been processed. Click here to signup.
• If you returned your ballot by drop-box or USPS and it is rejected due to an error on your ballot, you have a right to correct or "cure" your ballot so that it is still counted.
• You will receive notification of the rejection and the opportunity to correct or "cure" your ballot via text or by submitting a paper form verifying your identity.
• Ballots may need to be corrected or "cured" if the signature does not match the voter registration file or the voter forgot to sign and date the security envelope.
• To correct your ballot using your smartphone, text "Colorado" to 2VOTE (28683) and follow the instructions.

Did you know? First-time and young voters often need to correct or "cure" their ballot. Not all states alert their voters and offer the opportunity to make corrections — take advantage of this Colorado right and make sure your voice is heard.

For more in-depth information on voting rights, or to find voting locations, visit JustVoteColorado.org.

Specific questions or issues? Email [email protected].