Local ballot measures in Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon and Wisconsin
Read the Tuesday Count!
Voting in Colorado
 |
| California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire New Jersey • New Mexico • New York North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming |
| Voting in 2013 Primaries • Voting on November 5, 2013 Poll Opening and Closing Times Absentee voting • Early voting Open Primary • Closed Primary • Blanket Primary • Online voter registration in the 50 states |
Contents |
Registration
Colorado uses an open primary system, meaning voters are not required to declare a party preference when registering to vote.
To vote in Colorado, you must meet the following requirements:[1]
- 18 years of age or older on the date of the election at which the person intends to vote,
- A citizen of the United States, and
- A resident of Colorado, as well as the intended voting precinct, 30 days immediately before the election at which the person intends to vote.
When and where
The deadline for registration in Colorado is 29 days prior to election day. You can register online here. You can also print off a paper registration form from the same website. The form must then be returned by fax, email, mail or in person.[2]
Online registration
As of May 2013, Colorado is one of the 13 states that have implemented online voter registration. Residents can register online at this website
Proposed Changes
The 2013 Colorado State Legislature passed a bill that authorizes same day registration. The bill makes other election reforms, including mailing a ballot to all registered voters and allowing in-person voting at any voting center established by the law instead of designated precinct polling places[3][4]
| Bill | Introduced | House Vote | Senate Vote | Gubernatorial Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB13-1303 | April 10, 2013 in Colorado House of Representatives |  on April 19, 2013, 36 to 26
|
on May 2, 2013, 20 to 15
|
on May 10, 2013
|
Voting on election day
Voters must provide a valid form of identification at the polls. The following are acceptable forms of identification.[5]
- A valid Colorado driver’s license;
- A valid identification card issued by the Department of Revenue in accordance with the requirements of Part 3 of Article 2 of Title 42, C.R.S.;
- A valid U.S. passport;
- A valid employee identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States government or of this state, or by any county, municipality, board, authority, or other political subdivision of this state;
- A valid pilot’s license issued by the federal aviation administration or other authorized agency of the United States;
- A valid U.S. military identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector;
- A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the elector. For example:
- A cable bill or telephone bill,
- Documentation from a public institution of higher education in Colorado containing at least the name, date of birth, and legal residence address of the student elector,
- A paycheck from a government institution or private company, or
- A Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaskan Native Blood.
- A valid Medicare or Medicaid card issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (formerly the United States Health Care Financing Administration);
- A certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate for the elector issued in the United States;
- Certified documentation of naturalization;
- A valid student identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector issued by an institute of higher education in Colorado, as defined in section 23-3.1-102(5), C.R.S.;
- A valid veteran identification card issued by the United States department of veterans affairs veterans health administration with a photograph of the eligible elector.
- A valid identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government certifying tribal membership.
Poll times
- See also: State Poll Opening and Closing Times
In Colorado, the polls are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM Mountain Time .[6]
Absentee voting
Eligibility
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Colorado. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.
Deadlines
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by the election office at least 7 days prior to the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be received by the elections office by close of polls on election day.
Military and overseas voting
For full details, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program here.
Early voting
Colorado is one of 33 states that has early voting with no specific requirements as to who can vote early. Early voting begins 10 days before a primary election and 15 days before a general election and ends on the day prior to election day. The average number of days prior to an election that voters can cast an early ballot is 21 days in states with a definitive starting date.
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Voter registration guide
- ↑ Voter registration info
- ↑ Coloradoan.com, Hickenlooper to approve same-day voter registration, other election reforms, May 9, 2013
- ↑ Denver Post, Colorado bill offers more mail ballots, Election-Day registration, April 9, 2013
- ↑ Voter ID info
- ↑ http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/docs/2012ElectionCalendar.pdf
