Colorado voting guide

Key Dates

• Mon., Oct. 5 Counties may begin mailing ballots
• Fri., Oct. 9 Deadline for counties to mail ballots to all active voters
• Mon., Oct. 12 Drop boxes open
• Tues., Oct. 13 Last day to register through a voter registration drive
• Mon., Oct. 19 Voter Service and Polling Centers open for in-person voting
• Mon., Oct. 26 Last day to register or update and still get a ballot by mail; state recommends not mailing ballots back after this date
• Tues., Nov. 3 Election Day; ballots must be received by 7 p.m.; same-day registration until 7 p.m.
• Thurs., Nov. 5 Deadline for counties to notify voters of signature or ID problems
• Wed., Nov. 11 Last day (11:59 p.m.) to fix a signature or ID problem; military/overseas ballots must arrive
• Wed., Nov. 25 Deadline for counties to finish the official canvass

Your Voting Checklist

• Vote early in person from Mon., Oct. 19 to Mon., Nov. 2.
• Vote by mail. Every registered voter gets a ballot in the mail. Register by Oct. 26 to get yours.
  Return it by Tues., Nov. 3.
  Problem with your ballot? If your signature is missing or doesn't match, your county will contact you. Fix it by Nov. 11. Track your ballot
• Vote on Election Day, Tues., Nov. 3, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Find your polling place
• Bring the right ID. You must show ID to vote in person. Many kinds count, with or without a photo.
  • Colorado driver's license or state ID
  • U.S. passport or passport card
  • Work ID with photo
  • Military or veteran ID
  • Colorado college student ID with photo
  • Tribal ID
  • Medicare or Medicaid card
  • Birth certificate or citizenship papers
  • Utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government paper from the last 60 days with your address
  See the official ID rules
• Review your sample ballot before you go.
• Have a past conviction?
  • You can vote unless you are in prison or jail serving a felony sentence.
  • You can vote while on parole or probation.
  • After you get out, register again or update your registration.
• Make a plan and bring three people. Make a plan

What’s on Your Ballot

These are the biggest races in Colorado this year. Please note, we do not endorse any candidates.

Ballot measures

• Amendment 81: Notify Homeland Security About Certain Charged Immigrants. Changes the state constitution to require state and local police to notify the U.S. Department of Homeland Security when they charge someone who is not lawfully present (or whose status can't be determined) with a violent crime, or who has a prior felony conviction.
  Yes means require police to notify DHS in these cases.
  No means do not add this requirement to the constitution.
• Amendment 82: Right to Buy and Sell Natural Gas. Adds a constitutional right for consumers to buy natural gas for cooking or heating in homes and businesses, and for utilities to sell it.
  Yes means add the natural gas right to the constitution.
  No means do not add this right.
• Amendment 83: Right to Hunt and Fish. Adds a constitutional right to hunt, fish and take wildlife using traditional methods, while letting the state regulate it.
  Yes means add the right to hunt and fish to the constitution.
  No means do not add this right.
• Amendment 84: ID Number Required on Mail Ballots. Requires mail voters to give an ID number (last 4 of Social Security number or a Colorado REAL ID number) along with their signature.
  Yes means require an ID number plus a signature on mail ballots.
  No means keep the current rule: signature only.
• Amendment 85: Plain-Language Ballot Questions. Requires ballot questions to be written in plain language at no more than an 8th-grade reading level.
  Yes means require plain language in ballot titles.
  No means keep current ballot-title rules.
• Amendment 86: Limits on Mid-Decade Congressional Redistricting. Requires any mid-decade congressional map to be approved by both the independent redistricting commission and the Colorado Supreme Court, and bans maps drawn on purpose to favor one party.
  Yes means add these approvals and the partisan-map ban for mid-decade redistricting.
  No means keep the current system, where maps are drawn after each census.
• Amendment 87: Graduated Income Tax. Replaces Colorado's flat 4.4% income tax with rates from 3.7% to 8.4% based on income, and sends the new money to K-12 schools, health care and child care. Conflicts with Proposition 136.
  Yes means create the graduated income tax and fund these programs.
  No means keep the flat 4.4% income tax.
• Proposition 132: Fentanyl Penalties. Raises felony levels and mandatory penalties for making, selling and possessing fentanyl, requires court-ordered treatment for some possession cases, and changes habitual-offender rules.
  Yes means increase fentanyl penalties and require treatment for some offenses.
  No means keep current law (for example, possessing under 1 gram stays a misdemeanor).
• Proposition 133: Life Sentence for Child Sex Trafficking. Requires life in prison without parole for people convicted of trafficking a child for sexual servitude.
  Yes means require life without parole for this crime.
  No means keep the current sentence range of 8 to 24 years.
• Proposition 134: School and College Sports Teams by Sex. Requires student athletes in K-12 and college to play on men's or women's teams that match their biological sex, unless the team is co-ed.
  Yes means require teams to be separated by biological sex.
  No means keep current rules.
• Proposition 135: Ban on Gender-Related Surgeries for Minors. Bans health providers from performing surgeries on people under 18 as treatment related to their sex or gender identity, and bars public funds and insurance from paying for them.
  Yes means ban these surgeries for minors and the use of funds or insurance for them.
  No means keep current law.
• Proposition 136: 4.4% Cap on Income Tax Rates. Caps individual and corporate income tax rates at 4.4%, the current rate. Conflicts with Amendment 87.
  Yes means cap income tax rates at 4.4%.
  No means do not set this cap.
• Proposition 137: Sporting Goods Tax Money for Conservation and Wildfire. Lets the state keep and spend sales tax revenue from sporting goods for water, land, forests, wildfire prevention and outdoor recreation, instead of refunding it under TABOR.
  Yes means keep this revenue for conservation and wildfire prevention.
  No means leave the revenue under current TABOR rules (it may be refunded).
• Proposition NN: Raise TABOR Cap for K-12 Schools. Raises the state's TABOR revenue cap and uses about $4.6 billion in surplus money for K-12 schools, such as teacher pay, smaller classes and career training, instead of refunding it.
  Yes means keep surplus revenue for K-12 education.
  No means keep the current cap; surplus is refunded to taxpayers.

Protect the Vote

• Apply to be a poll worker and support free and fair elections.
• Watch the count. Take a training to learn how to observe the polls.
• If anyone tries to stop you from voting or something at your polling place seems wrong:
  • Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
  • Call 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) – Spanish
  • Call 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) – Asian languages
  • Call 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) – Arabic
  • If you’re in line when polls close, stay in line. You can still vote.
  • If your name isn’t on the list, ask for a provisional ballot.
  • Know your rights

Organizations to Support

• Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization (CLLARO). Latino-led Colorado nonprofit (since 1964) that builds civic leadership and advocates on policy affecting Latino communities.
• Mi Familia Vota. Latino-led national group that registers and educates voters, with past organizing in Colorado.