Democratic Party primaries in Colorado, 2018

Elections in Colorado, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 29
• Early voting: Mail ballots available Oct. 5
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Voter ID: Non-photo ID required for in-person voting
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. House • Governor • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • Municipal • Recalls • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

Click here for primary election results.

Democratic Party primaries, 2018

Primary Date

June 26, 2018

Federal elections

Democratic primaries for U.S. House

State elections

Democratic primaries for Colorado legislature

Democratic primary for governor

Democratic primary for lieutenant governor

Democratic primary for attorney general

Democratic primary for secretary of state

State party

Democratic Party of Colorado

State political party revenue

Democratic Party primary elections were held in Colorado on June 26, 2018, in order to select the party's candidates for Colorado's 2018 elections, including all seven of the state's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and state legislative elections.

One notable U.S. House primary was in 6th District, in which attorney and former Army Ranger Jason Crow defeated entrepreneur and academic Levi Tillemann. After the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) backed Crow in the race, Tillemann met with Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer to argue the DCCC should stay out of primaries. Hoyer urged Tillemann to drop out of the race. Tillemann recorded the conversation, which was released by The Intercept. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi defended the DCCC's involvement in the race, saying ‘‘In terms of candidates and campaigns I don’t see anything inappropriate in what Mr. Hoyer was engaged in — a conversation about the realities of life in the race as to who can make the general election." For more on factional conflict in Democratic Party primaries in 2018, click here.

In the 1st District, 11-term incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette (D) defeated her third primary opponent in two decades: attorney and children’s book author Saira Rao.

In the gubernatorial race, Rep. Jared Polis (D) defeated seven other candidates in the race to succeed outgoing Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), who was first elected in 2010. Heading into the 2018 election, Colorado was under divided government, with Republicans controlling the state Senate and Democrats the state House and the governorship. The state's divided government has also been at stake in the legislative primaries.

This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Colorado on June 26, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus. The filing deadline for candidates seeking to participate in these primaries was March 20, 2018.

See also: Republican Party primaries in Colorado, 2018

National background

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018. Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.

Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.

Ballot access requirements

Candidates may qualify for the primary ballot in Colorado in two ways: nomination by petition or by assembly. To be nominated by petition, candidates for the U.S. House must collect either 1,000 signatures or a number of signatures equal to 30 percent of the votes cast in the district in the most recent party primary election for the same office, whichever is less. Candidates for governor or the U.S. Senate must collect 1,500 signatures per congressional district. To be nominated by assembly, a candidate must receive 30 percent of votes cast by assembly delegates. If no candidate receives 30 percent, a second vote is taken. If no candidate receives 30 percent at the second vote, the top two vote-getters are nominated. Candidates can choose to be nominated both ways, but a candidate who attempts to be nominated by assembly and fails to receive at least 10 percent of the delegates' votes may not be nominated by petition.

Unaffiliated voters in Colorado primaries

The June 26, 2018, primaries were the first chance that Colorado voters unaffiliated with either major party had to participate in partisan primaries. The state's 1.1 million unaffiliated voters received mail-in ballots from their county clerks and were not able to opt out of receiving a ballot. If a voter did not request a ballot from one party, she or he received ballots for both parties. Voters could only complete a ballot for one party's primary. If the voter completed both party ballots, the ballots were invalidated.

County officials recommended that voters mail their ballots in by June 16. If voters chose to drop their ballots off at their county election offices, they had until 7:00 PM MT on June 26.

This change in the voting system came from Proposition 108, a 2016 initiated state statute approved by 53.3 percent of voters. Prior to the passage of Proposition 108, Colorado utilized a closed primary system where only voters registered with a political party could participate. Unaffiliated voters were able to affiliate with one of the parties on election day if they chose.

Battleground primaries

Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.

• Colorado's 1st Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Democratic primary)
• Colorado's 6th Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Democratic primary)
• Colorado gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 26 Democratic primary)
• Colorado state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018

Federal elections

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Colorado (June 26, 2018 Democratic primaries)

The 2018 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Colorado took place on November 6, 2018. Voters elected seven candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's seven congressional districts. In 2017, the DCCC identified Colorado's 3rd and 6th Congressional Districts as targeted races.

District 1

 Democratic primary candidates

• Diana DeGette (Incumbent) ✔
• Saira Rao

Did not make the ballot:

• David Sedbrook

District 2

 Democratic primary candidates

• Joe Neguse ✔
• Mark Williams

Did not make the ballot:

• Kristopher Larsen

District 3

 Democratic primary candidates

• Diane Mitsch Bush ✔ 
• Karl Hanlon
• Arn Menconi

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 4

 Democratic primary candidates

• Chase Kohne
• Karen McCormick ✔

Did not make the ballot:

• Larry Germanson
• Leonard Sistek

District 5

 Democratic primary candidates

• Stephany Rose Spaulding ✔

Did not make the ballot:

• Betty Field

District 6

 Democratic primary candidates

• Jason Crow ✔
• Levi Tillemann

Did not make the ballot:

• David Aarestad
• Erik Stanger

District 7

 Democratic primary candidates

• Ed Perlmutter (Incumbent) ✔

State elections

Colorado Party Control: 1992-2025
Thirteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial elections

See also: Colorado gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 26 Democratic primary)

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See also: Colorado gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 26 Democratic primary)

 Democratic primary candidates

• Michael Johnston
• Cary Kennedy
• Donna Lynne
• Jared Polis ✔

Did not make the ballot:

• Noel Ginsburg

Attorney general election

See also: Colorado Attorney General election, 2018 (June 26 Democratic primary)

 Democratic primary candidates

• Joseph Salazar
• Phil Weiser ✔

Secretary of state election

See also: Colorado Secretary of State election, 2018 (June 26 Democratic primary)

 Democratic primary candidates

• Jena Griswold ✔ 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

State legislative elections

Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Colorado state legislative Democratic primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Democratic caucus or had an impact on general election races.

To determine the Colorado state legislative Democratic primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.

House battleground races

House District 4

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

Three Democrats filed to replace Daniel Pabon in this safe Democratic seat. Amy Beatie was supported by state Reps. Jeni Arndt and Chris Hansen. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez was supported by outgoing House speaker Crisanta Duran, state Sen. Dominick Moreno, state Rep. Leslie Herod, and state Sen. Angela Williams.

Colorado House of Representatives, District 4 Democratic Primary, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez	58.23%	7,706
Amy Beatie	32.84%	4,346
Ed Britt	8.93%	1,182
Total Votes		13,234
Source: Colorado Secretary of State

House District 5

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

Four Democrats filed to replace outgoing House Speaker Crisanta Duran in this safe Democratic seat. Duran supported Alex Valdez in the primary. He was also backed by Paul Rosenthal, state Rep. Leslie Herod, and a number of other Democratic officials. Energy activist Meghan Nutting was Valdez's top rival in fundraising until former state Rep. Joel Judd and political activist Nicky Yollick began to self-fund their campaigns in the weeks before the election.

Colorado House of Representatives, District 5 Democratic Primary, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Alex Valdez	42.03%	4,666
Meghan Nutting	29.23%	3,245
Joel Judd	16.61%	1,844
Nicky Yollick	12.13%	1,347
Total Votes		11,102
Source: Colorado Secretary of State

House District 9

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Did not make ballot

What made this a battleground race?

The Denver Post reported that two primary challengers to incumbent Paul Rosenthal (D) emerged after he was accused of sexual misconduct in late 2017. The challengers were Emily Sirota and Ashley Wheeland. The allegations against Rosenthal were brought by party activist Thomas Cavaness, who said that Rosenthal inappropriately touched him in 2012. A complaint by Cavaness was dismissed by House Speaker Crisanta Duran (D) because the alleged incident occurred before Rosenthal was in office. Rosenthal did not qualify for the Democratic primary ballot in the 2018 elections. At the Democratic assembly for Colorado House District 9 on April 7, 2018, he received 24.7 percent of the votes cast by party delegates. He needed 30 percent to make the ballot. Ashley Wheeland received 39.5 percent and Emily Sirota received 35.8 percent. According to Marianne Goodland of ColoradoPolitics.com, Sirota was aligned with the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party, while Wheeland was supported by Democratic officials in the state. Sanders endorsed Sirota on February 1, 2018. The seat was safely Democratic.

Colorado House of Representatives, District 9 Democratic Primary, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Emily Sirota	55.33%	7,444
Ashley Wheeland	44.67%	6,011
Total Votes		13,455
Source: Colorado Secretary of State

Senate battleground races

Senate District 32

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

Three Democrats filed to replace state Sen. Irene Aguilar in this safe Democratic seat. Aguilar and outgoing House Speaker Crisanta Duran supported Robert Rodriguez in the primary. Rodriguez and Zach Neumann both raised over $130,000 in the race. Hazel Gibson was supported by House Majority Leader KC Becker (D).

Colorado State Senate, District 32 Democratic Primary, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Robert Rodriguez	39.82%	10,636
Zach Neumann	32.26%	8,616
Hazel Gibson	27.92%	7,458
Total Votes		26,710
Source: Colorado Secretary of State

Senate District 34

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

Three Democrats filed to replace state Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzman. Julie Gonzales was supported by a number of Democratic officials, including state Sen. Irene Aguilar and state Reps. Leslie Herod and Faith Winter.

Colorado State Senate, District 34 Democratic Primary, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Julie Gonzales	63.80%	14,798
Milo Schwab	19.72%	4,574
Alan Kennedy-Shaffer	16.47%	3,821
Total Votes		23,193
Source: Colorado Secretary of State

State party overview

See also: Democratic Party of Colorado

State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Colorado's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.

Democratic Party of Colorado revenue, 2011 to 2016
Year	Federal account	State account(s)	Total
2011	$847,183.85	$441,726.98	$1,288,910.83
2012	$15,112,488.25	$876,744.07	$15,989,232.32
2013	$757,734.06	$592,397.77	$1,350,131.83
2014	$7,536,136.62	$1,302,573.78	$8,838,710.40
2015	$1,006,582.21	$560,557.97	$1,567,140.18
2016	$11,835,015.92	$756,460.90	$12,591,476.82

Colorado compared to other states

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

Primary election scheduling

Colorado was one of five states to hold a primary election on June 26, 2018.

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Colorado heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• The state had a split delegation (one Democrat, one Republican) in the U.S. Senate. Colorado did not hold elections for either U.S. Senate seat in 2018.
• Republicans held four of seven U.S. House seats in Colorado, and Democrats held three.

State executives

• As of May 2018, Republicans held three of 10 state executive positions. Democrats held two, and five were nonpartisan.
• The governor of Colorado was Democrat John Hickenlooper, who was term-limited and unable to run for re-election in 2018. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.

State legislature

• The Colorado state legislature was under divided control. Republicans had an 18-16 majority in the state Senate, with one Independent who caucused with the Democrats. Democrats had a 36-29 majority in the state House.

Trifecta status

• Heading into the 2018 elections, Colorado was under divided government.

2018 elections

See also: Colorado elections, 2018

Colorado held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• All seven U.S. House seats
• Governor and lieutenant governor
• Attorney general
• Secretary of state
• Treasurer
• Seventeen of 35 seats in the state Senate
• All 65 seats in the state House of Representatives
• Two of seven seats on the state board of education
• Three of nine seats on the state board of regents
• One justice of the Colorado Supreme Court (retention election)
• Five members of the Colorado Court of Appeals (retention election)
• Local judicial offices
• Municipal elections in Adams County, Arapahoe County and El Paso County

Demographics

Demographic data for Colorado
	Colorado	U.S.
Total population:	5,448,819	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	103,642	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	84.2%	73.6%
Black/African American:	4%	12.6%
Asian:	2.9%	5.1%
Native American:	0.9%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	3.5%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	21.1%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	90.7%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	38.1%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$60,629	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	13.5%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Colorado. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2017, Colorado had a population of approximately 5.6 million people, and its two largest cities were Denver (pop. est. 719,000) and Colorado Springs (pop. est. 484,000).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Colorado from 2000 to 2016.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Colorado every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Colorado 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	48.2%	Donald Trump	43.3%	4.9%
2012	Barack Obama	51.5%	Mitt Romney	46.1%	5.4%
2008	Barack Obama	53.7%	John McCain	44.7%	9.0%
2004	George W. Bush	51.7%	John Kerry	47.0%	4.7%
2000	George W. Bush	50.8%	Al Gore	42.4%	8.4%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Colorado from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Colorado 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Michael Bennet	50.0%	Darryl Glenn	44.3%	5.7%
2014	Cory Gardner	48.2%	Mark Udall	46.3%	1.9%
2010	Michael Bennet	48.1%	Ken Buck	46.4%	1.7%
2008	Mark Udall	52.8%	Bob Schaffer	42.5%	10.3%
2004	Ken Salazar	50.4%	Pete Coors	45.7%	4.7%
2002	Wayne Allard	50.1%	Tom Strickland	45.2%	4.9%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Colorado, and take place in even-numbered years between presidential elections.

Election results (Governor), Colorado 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	John Hickenlooper	49.3%	Bob Beauprez	46.0%	3.3%
2010	John Hickenlooper	51.1%	Tom Tancredo	36.4%	14.7%
2006	Bill Ritter	56.0%	Bob Beauprez	39.5%	16.5%
2002	Bill Owens	61.7%	Rollie Heath	33.2%	28.5%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Colorado in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Colorado 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	4	57.1%	3	42.9%	R+1
2014	4	57.1%	3	42.9%	R+1
2012	4	57.1%	3	42.9%	R+1
2010	4	57.1%	3	42.9%	R+1
2008	2	28.6%	5	71.4%	D+3
2006	3	42.9%	4	57.1%	D+1
2004	4	57.1%	3	42.9%	R+1
2002	5	71.4%	2	28.6%	R+3
2000	4	66.7%	2	33.3%	R+2

Trifectas, 1992-2018

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Colorado Party Control: 1992-2025
Thirteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election.

Colorado utilizes a semi-closed primary system. According to Section 1-7-201 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, "An eligible unaffiliated elector, including a preregistrant who is eligible under section 1-2-101 (2)(c), is entitled to vote in the primary election of a major political party without affiliating with that political party."

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Colorado, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time for those who choose to vote in person rather than by mail. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

In Colorado, an individual can pre-register to vote if they are at least 15 years old. Voters must be at least 18 years old to vote in any election. A voter must be a citizen of the United States and have established residence in Colorado to vote.

Colorado voters can register to vote through Election Day. However, in order to automatically receive a absentee/mail-in ballot, a voter must register online, through the mail, at a voter registration agency, or driver's license examination facility at least eight days prior to Election Day. A voter that registers through a voter registration drive must submit their application no later than 22 days before the election to automatically receive an absentee/mail-in ballot. A voter can register online or submit a form in person or by fax, email, or mail.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Colorado automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and certain other state agencies.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Colorado has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Colorado allows same-day voter registration for individuals who vote in person.

Residency requirements

Colorado law requires 22 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Colorado does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site Go Vote Colorado, run by the Colorado Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Colorado requires voters to present non-photo identification when voting in person. If voting by mail for the first, a voter may also need to return a photocopy of his or her identification with their mail-in ballot. Click here for more information.

The following list of accepted forms of identification was current as of August 2025. Click here for the most current information, sourced directly from the Office of the Colorado Secretary of State.

“

The following documents are acceptable forms of identification: A valid Colorado driver’s license or valid identification card issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue. (Note: documents issued to not lawfully present and temporarily lawfully present individuals under Part 5 of Article 2 of Title 42, C.R.S. are not acceptable forms of identification.) 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 U.S. government or of Colorado, or by any county, municipality, board, authority, or other political subdivision of Colorado. A valid pilot’s license issued by the federal aviation administration or other authorized agency of the U.S. A valid U.S. military identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector. A copy of a current (within the last 60 days) utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the elector. 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. A certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate for the elector. 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 U.S. 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. Any form of identification listed above that shows your address must show a Colorado address to qualify as an acceptable form of identification. The following documents are also considered acceptable forms of identification for voting: Verification that a voter is a resident of a group residential facility, as defined in section 1-1-104(18.5), C.R.S. Verification that a voter is a person committed to the department of human services and confined and eligible to register and vote shall be considered sufficient identification of such person for the purposes of section 1-2-210.5, C.R.S. Written correspondence from the county sheriff or his or her designee to the county clerk indicating that a voter is confined in a county jail or detention facility.

”

• Note: SB 1, signed into law on May 12, 2025, specified that tribal IDs issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, or another federal agency were also valid identification.

Absentee and early voting

Colorado conducts what are commonly referred to as all-mail elections. In Colorado, voting is conducted primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, by mail. Election officials automatically distribute mail-in ballots to active electors starting 18 to 22 days before an election. Colorado law requires county clerks to operate polling locations (Voter Service and Polling Centers, or VSPCs) starting 15 days before an election and continuing through Election Day, excluding Sundays. At these locations, eligible voters can do any of the following:

• void their mail-in ballots to vote in person,
• register to vote,
• update existing voter registration records,
• obtain mail-in ballots, or
• vote in person via paper ballots or accessible voting devices.

See also

Federal primaries in Colorado	State primaries in Colorado	Colorado state party apparatus	Colorado voter information
Democratic primaries for U.S. House	State government trifectas Democratic primary for governor Democratic primary for lieutenant governor Democratic primary for attorney general Democratic primary for secretary of state Democratic primaries for Colorado legislature	Democratic Party of Colorado Republican Party of Colorado State political party revenue	Voting in Colorado Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Colorado Redistricting in Colorado