**Updated: September 29, 2020**
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, but registered voters in Colorado will receive mail-in ballots after Oct. 9. Vote-by-mail began for the entire state in 2013, although some counties used it before that. Here's a handy guide to basic election questions.
We know voters and potential voters will have questions about how voter registration works, how mail-in ballots work, how ballots are counted and more. The Colorado News Collaborative and its members, which KSUT is among, want to answer those questions. Here’s a start.
Have a question we haven’t answered yet? Submit it here.
1. Voting
How do I know if I’m registered to vote?
GoVoteColorado has a range of information on registration, including the ability to register to vote. Go here and enter your name, ZIP code and date of birth to check your voter registration.
What if I’ve moved?
This link also will allow you to change your address.
What if my name changed?
You’ll need to fill out this form and take it to your county clerk or mail it to the Colorado Secretary of State.
How long do I have to register?
You must register by Oct. 26 to get a ballot in the mail (but you’ll need to return it to a vote center or drop box). But you may register and vote in person at vote centers through 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.
2. Ballots
When will I get my ballot in the mail?
The first day ballots may be mailed is Oct. 9, a Friday, and they must be sent out by Oct. 16 at the latest. Check with your county clerk’s office for information on when they will send out mail ballots.
What if I don’t get my ballot?
Check GoVoteColorado to see if your ballot has been mailed. If it has been mailed and you haven’t received it, contact your county clerk’s office and ask. Not every county will send ballots out the first day possible. But they need to hear from you if you don’t receive yours.
How do I return my ballot?
Ballots must arrive at a vote center or county clerk’s office by 7 p.m. Nov. 3. You may mail your ballot back, if there’s enough time for it to arrive. You may also deliver it to drop boxes at your county clerk’s office or other locations in your county. Beginning Oct. 19, you may deliver it to voter centers staffed by election workers. About 75% of Colorado voters return their mail ballots to drop boxes, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Are drop boxes safe from tampering?
Yes, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. They are under 24-hour video surveillance and are emptied every day by a team of bipartisan election judges. The sturdy, metal boxes are bolted to the ground.
If I send my ballot back by mail, will it get there?
The Secretary of State recommends delivering ballots in person in the final eight days before the election. If you mail them before that, they should arrive in time.
I don’t want to vote by mail. I want to vote in person.
Colorado will open about 330 vote centers beginning Oct. 19. You may vote in person there through 7 p.m. Election Day.
