General Voting FAQs

Polling locations are open on November 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Please call your County Clerk's office if you have a question that is not answered on this page.
Where Should I Vote?
Some of the larger counties, like Adams and Larimer, use vote centers for election day, where you can vote at any vote center within your county. Other counties, such as Denver, Arapahoe, and Jefferson, still use assigned polling places.

* › I have moved WITHIN THE SAME PRECINCT and have not updated my address for voter registration purposes. Where should I vote?

A change of residence within the same precinct may be made by a voter at the polling place as late as the day of the election. You may have your residence changed on the registration record by submitting a letter or form furnished by the County Clerk, either by mail or in person.

* › I have moved to a different precinct WITHIN THE SAME COUNTY and I have not updated my address for voter registration purposes. Where should I vote?

» If you moved within the county no later than October 4, 2010 and did not already submit a new voter registration form, you may complete a change of address form in person at the County Clerk’s office and vote in your new precinct.
» If you move from the precinct where you are registered after October 4, 2010, and therefore after the registration period has closed, you can vote by an absentee ballot, by early voting, or at the polling place for the old precinct where registered.

* › I have moved from one COUNTY to another and have not updated my address for voter registration purposes. Where should I vote?

» If you move from one county in Colorado to another before or on October 4, 2010, you must reregister with the County Clerk of the county of your new residence.
» If you move from the county where you are registered after October 4, 2010, and therefore after the registration period has closed, you can vote by an absentee ballot, by early voting, at the polling place for the old precinct where registered, or go to your county clerk’s office (or Denver Election Commission if in Denver) and complete an emergency registration.

Identification Requirements

* › I do not have any identification with me. Can I vote?

Identification is required in order to vote in Colorado. Provisional ballots, however, may be cast by a voter without ID.

* › My driver’s license or other form of identification doesn’t have my current address on it. What should I do?

Nothing. Your identification is simply to confirm who you are, not where you live. As long as you can tell the election official your current address, you will be able to vote.

* › What forms of identification are accepted?

» Valid Colorado driver’s license;
» Valid identification card;
» Valid United States passport;
» Any government employee identification card including a photograph;
» Valid pilot’s license including a photograph;
» Valid United States military identification card including a photograph;
» Copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name of the voter;
» Valid Medicare or Medicaid card;
» Certified copy of a United States birth certificate;
» Certified documentation of naturalization;
» Valid student identification card with a photograph, issued by an institution of higher education in Colorado.

Polling Places

* › What if it's after 7:00 a.m. and the polling place is not open?

» Immediately report the problem.
» If the polling place is open at 7:00 a.m. but the voting machines have not arrived, call us immediately. Voters should be permitted to vote by paper ballots (preferably) or by provisional ballots if there are no machines available.

* › What if it's 7:00 p.m. and my precinct is closed or closing and they will not let me vote?

» If you are in line by 7:00 p.m., you MUST be allowed to vote.
» Immediately report the problem.

* › There are equipment problems at my precinct and I cannot vote. What should I do?

If you have to leave, you should ask to vote by a back-up paper ballot, or by provisional ballot as a last resort.

* › I am a registered voter who is not on the rolls at my precinct. Can I vote?

» Verify that you are at the correct precinct. If you are at the correct precinct and are not on the rolls, you may only vote by provisional ballot.
» If you registered before the cut-off date though a voter registration drive or an independent organization, you may physically go to the County Clerk’s office (or Denver Election Commission in Denver) and complete an emergency registration and vote a regular ballot. Be sure to bring identification if applying for emergency registration or else you will have to vote a provisional ballot.

* › Poll workers are turning voters away if they don’t have photo ID.

» Voters without ID are allowed to cast a provisional ballot.
» Colorado law does not require a photo ID to vote.

* › Is there a time limit for voting?

Once in the voting booth, you should finish voting within 15 minutes, unless you are disabled. If there is no line to vote, you may be given more time.

* › Will I have to use a voting machine or paper ballot?

Voting methods vary by county. This year, some counties will be using paper ballots for all voting, some will use electronic voting machines, and others will have a combination of the two.

Mail In Ballots

Mail in ballots must be RECEIVED by 7:00 PM on election night.
It is too late to mail in your ballot on election day. You may hand deliver your ballot to your county clerk and recorder if you are concerned about mailing it.

* › How do I request a Mail In ballot?

Applications should be returned to your county clerk and recorder. Mail in ballot request forms are available at: http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/vote/mib_application_eng_clr.pdf.

* › I think I signed up to permanently receive absentee ballots. How can I check?

You can check your status at: http://GoVoteColorado.com

* › Do I need to include a copy of my identification with my mail in ballot?

» If you have regularly voted in previous elections and have not changed your registration, you do not need to include a copy of your identification.
» If you registered to vote by mail and this is the first time you are voting, you MUST include a copy of acceptable identification with your absentee ballot.

* › What if I requested an mail in ballot but I want to vote in person on Election Day?

If you apply for an absentee ballot but do not cast it, you may cast a provisional ballot at the polling place, vote center, or early vote location if you affirm under oath that you have not, and will not, cast the absentee ballot. The provisional ballot should be counted if the designated election official verifies that you are registered to vote and did not cast the absentee ballot.

* › I never received my mail in ballot. What are my options?

» If you requested but never received your absentee ballot, lost your ballot, or spoiled/mismarked it, you may go to your polling place/vote center to vote. If your ballot was mismarked or spoiled you may simply receive a replacement ballot. If you do not have further voting options, you may vote using a provisional ballot. You must affirm that you have not and will not vote again in the election.
» Alternatively, you may vote on a replacement absentee ballot at the county clerk's office before 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Provisional Ballots

* A voter should only vote a provisional ballot as a LAST RESORT.
* › What is a provisional ballot?

A provisional ballot is a paper ballot that is completed and placed in a secrecy envelope much like an absentee ballot. It contains all of the same candidate and issue elections on which the voter is entitled to vote. It will be checked like an absentee ballot and will count just as if the voter had voted on a regular ballot or voting machine, assuming the voter’s name can be verified and found on the voter registrations rolls.

* › You must cast a provisional ballot in the following instances:

» You fail to show proper identification. Identification is only required to prove who you are. If your current address is different from the address on your ID, you are still eligible to vote a regular ballot.
» You requested but have not cast an absentee ballot for any reason and now want to vote at a polling place or early voting location. If you affirm that you have not and will not vote again in that election, your provisional ballot should be counted.
» You wish to vote in the wrong county or at the wrong precinct (in counties with vote centers, the voter can vote at ANY vote center). Your provisional ballot will not be counted if you are in the wrong location.
» The election judge cannot find your name on the registration records.
» You apply for emergency registration but cannot be qualified in the clerk’s office at the time of registration.

* › I have been offered a provisional ballot. What should I do?

» You should cast the ballot as if it were a normal ballot.
» After you cast the provisional ballot, the election judge should give you a written notice that you have the right to know whether the provisional ballot was counted and, if not counted, the reason why.
» The notice shall specify the toll-free telephone number, internet website, or other free access system established for you to learn this information.

Assistance at the Polls

* › I am physically disabled. Will my polling place be accessible?

» Each polling place must be accessible to persons with disabilities.
» If, for some reason, you are disabled and unable to access your polling place, either because it is not compliant or is specially exempt from accessibility requirements, you are allowed to vote as an absentee voter.

* › I am blind, physically disabled, or cannot read English and require assistance at the polls in order to vote. Can I get assistance at the polls?

Any registered voter is entitled to assistance if you declare to the election judges that, by reason of blindness or other physical disability or inability to read or write, you are unable to prepare the ballot or operate the voting machine without assistance. You are entitled to receive the assistance of any one of the election judges or, at your option, any eligible voter selected by you.

* › Non-English speakers are entitled to assistance from:

» An election judge who speaks English and the voter’s language;
» Any person selected by the designated election official to provide assistance in that precinct who speaks English and the voter’s language; or
» Any person selected by the voter requesting assistance, provided they speak English and the voter’s language.
» Voters have the right to receive ballots, instructions, and other voting materials in Spanish in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Denver, Otero, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties; in Navajo in La Plata and Montezuma counties; and in Ute in La Plata and Montezuma counties.

Miscellaneous Issues

* › I have been approached by candidates or others at the polls.

No campaigning is allowed within 100 feet of any building in which a polling place is located, including early vote locations.

For questions not answered here, please call the voter protection hotline at 866-35-VOTER.