KSUT's voter guide to the 2026 election

I keep hearing Colorado is a “mail ballot” state. What does that really mean?
Before each election, Colorado mails ballots to every registered, active voter in the state. Some registered voters may be considered “inactive” and not receive a ballot if their local clerk believes they no longer live at the address on their registration (for example, if election-related mail has been returned as undelivered). Inactive voters must update their registration information to receive a mail ballot.

I’m nervous about the USPS. What if my ballot doesn’t arrive in time?
You don't have to use the ballot the state sends you. Voter Centers will open across the state no later than Oct. 30 (and some will open earlier). Any voter who has not already returned a ballot can go to one and vote in person there. Just don’t then also return your mail ballot when it arrives. The system will flag that you’ve returned two ballots, and you could face prosecution.

If I'm voting by mail, when must the county clerk and recorder receive my ballot?

The county clerk and recorder must receive mailed ballots no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count; ballots must be in the county clerk's hands by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

Are ballot dropboxes secure?
Drop-box locations are open and are under video surveillance 24/7. A bipartisan team of election judges will regularly retrieve ballots from the drop-box locations and send them to the county's central counting location for processing.

I plan to vote in person. What do I need to bring?
If you choose to vote in person in Colorado, you must show ID. If your ID shows your address, that address must be in Colorado. Find acceptable forms of ID here.

If you can't provide ID, you can vote a provisional ballot. After Election Day, your local election official will evaluate your eligibility to vote and determine whether to count your ballot.

What should I do if I do not receive my mail ballot or if I make a mistake, damage it, or lose it?
You may request a replacement mail ballot from your county clerk. You may also vote in person at a Voter Service and Polling Center. Colorado also allows people to register and vote until 7 p.m. on Election Day when polls close. You’ll need to register in person at a polling place, where you’ll then get a ballot and be able to vote.

I’ve gotten my ballot, and I don’t want to vote on everything on it. Will my ballot still be counted if I leave some races blank?
Yes. You are not required to vote in every race or on every issue on your ballot.

How do I know if my mail ballot has been mailed?
Click here to check the status of your mail ballot. If you have further questions about your mail ballot's status, contact your local county clerk and recorder's office or sign up for BallotTrax, a system that lets you track your ballot from sent to accepted. 

When does ballot counting start in Colorado?
Ballots are tallied before the election, but not counted until the polls close. Election workers open the envelopes as they arrive and — after verifying the signatures — run them through tabulating machines. Those scan the ballots and record how each person voted, but they don't just automatically add it all up. That data isn't calculated and revealed until the polls close on Election Night, and someone hits "tabulate."

How do I vote if I am a college student?
As a college student, you can vote either in your hometown or in the city where you attend college. Students attending college or university in Colorado have the right to register and vote in the state if they reside there. A student does not automatically reside in Colorado just because they are attending college or university here. It is up to the student. Check your registration here. Find out more about voting while in college here.

What happens if I'll be away from home when they send out ballots and won't be back before the election?
You can still get a ballot and vote even if you're away from home. From now until the vote centers open, you can pick one up in person from your county clerk's office. You can also get your ballot sent to a temporary address. To get information specific to your situation, call your county clerk's office (find the number here).

What kind of safeguards are in place to ensure no one steals my ballot and votes it fraudulently?
To keep the vote secure, Colorado relies heavily on signature verification. Once the clerk’s office receives your ballot, an election judge compares the signature on your envelope with the one on file. If the two don’t match, your ballot is rejected.

What happens if my ballot is rejected?
There are a couple of reasons a ballot might be rejected: your signature could have changed so much that it doesn’t match the one on file anymore, or you just forgot to sign your ballot altogether, or you live with another voter, and you two got confused and put your ballots in each other’s envelopes (it happens!)

I want to be sure the signature on file matches my current signature so my mail-in ballot isn't rejected—how can I do that?
There’s no way to directly review which signature the election judge will be seeing on their screen.

Here’s a handy guide with pointers to help ensure your signature is accepted.

Credits

Editor & Web Producer: Mark Duggan

Additional content & resources: Colorado Capitol News Alliance, CPR News, the Colorado Sun, Colorado Newsline, Rocky Mountain Community Radio, and the Mountain West Bureau

Colorado Tradeoffs Interactive: Colorado News Collaborative, the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, and Weigh In

Build Your Ballot Interactive: Colorado News Collaborative