Colorado Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should visit the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.

Important Deadlines

• Voter Registration Form: Postmarked at least 29 days before the election
• Absentee Ballot Application: Received by the Tuesday before the election
• Voted Absentee Ballot: Received by the close of polls on election day

How to vote by absentee ballot

Register to vote

Good news: You can register to vote and request your absentee ballot at the same time using the Colorado Combination Voter Registration and Mail-in Ballot Application.  It's a good idea to include a copy of your identification with this form (otherwise you'll need to include it with your voted absentee ballot).  Acceptable forms of ID are listed below in the Frequently Asked Questions section.  

Mail your completed application - and a copy of your ID - to your County Clerk and Recorder (the addresses are on the form).

Verify your voter registration

You should receive written confirmation that your voter registration was processed in 2-3 weeks. Don't panic if you never receive your voter registration card: you don't actually need it to vote.  If you not sure if your registration was processed - or if you simply can't remember if you're register to vote - you can verify your voter registration here.

Make sure you're eligible to vote by absentee ballot

Good news!  Any Colorado voter may vote by absentee ballot. You don't even need to be registered to apply for an your absentee ballot. (Note: Absentee ballots are called mail-in ballots in Colorado). 

Apply for your absentee ballot

Unregistered voters should use the Colorado Combination Voter Registration and Mail-In Ballot Application to register and apply for a mail-in ballot simultaneously.   Mail the completed form to your County Clerk.  The addresses are on the form.  

Registered voters should use the Colorado Mail-in Ballot Application.  Mail the completed form to your County Clerk.  The addresses are on the form.  

If you wish to have a Mail-In Ballot MAILED TO YOU, your application must be received by the County Clerk’s Office by close of business on the Tuesday before the election (i.e. one week before the election).  Mail-In Ballots may be obtained IN PERSON at the County Clerk’s Office until close of business on the Friday proceeding Election Day.

Receive, vote and return your absentee ballot

Mail-In Ballots will be mailed approximately 30 days prior to Election Day, or thereafter within 3 days of the county clerk receiving a request for a Mail-In Ballot.

Fill out your ballot, sign it, and return it to your County Clerk. The address will be on the return envelope.  If you registered by mail and you made it all the way to this step without providing your identification, include a copy of your ID in the outer envelope of your ballot.  If you put your ID inside your ballot, your ballot will not be counted.

In the event your original Mail-In Ballot is not received, or it becomes “spoiled,” you may request a Replacement Mail-In Ballot. Contact your County Clerk and Recorder for additional information about obtaining a Replacement Mail-In Ballot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to provide ID when I register to vote?

No, but you do need to provide your Colorado Driver's License Number or your Department of Revenue Identification Number.  If you don't have one of these numbers, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number.  If you don't have any of these numbers, you must indicate this on your voter registration form.  If you don't follow these guidelines, you're voter registration form will not be processed.

Please note: Colorado law requires ID from all voters at the polls, and from all first-time voters who cast absentee ballots (i.e. by-mail ballots).  If you plan on voting by absentee ballot, you can include a copy of your ID with your voter registration form OR with your absentee ballot application. 

Do I need to provide ID when I vote by absentee ballot?

Not unless you're a first-time Colorado voter.  If you're a first-time voter, and you did not include a copy of your ID with your voter registration form, you must include a copy with your absentee ballot application.  The following forms of identification are acceptable, as long as they show your name and a Colorado address:

• A valid Colorado driver’s license
• A valid identification card issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue
• 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
• 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 (A cable bill, a telephone bill, documentation from a public institution of higher education in Colorado containing at least the name, date of birth, and residence address of the student elector, or a paycheck from a government institution are sufficient forms of ID)
• A valid Medicare or Medicaid card
• A certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate
• Certified documentation of naturalization
• A valid student identification card with a photograph issued by a institution of higher education in Colorado

Do I need to submit a separate absentee ballot application for each election? 

No!  You can use one Colorado Mail-In Ballot Application to request absentee ballots for all elections in a calendar year (just make sure you check the right boxes).  Colorado is also one of only a handful of states that offers permanent absentee status.  You can use the Colorado Mail-In Ballot Application to put yourself on the "permanent mail-in ballot list."  Once your application is processed, Colorado will mail you an absentee ballot for each election in which you are qualified to vote.  You can remove yourself from the permanent mail-in ballot list at any time by submitting another Colorado Mail-In Ballot Application or by calling your County Clerk and Recorder. 

I've already received my absentee ballot.  Can I change my mind and vote in person?

If you request a Mail-In Ballot and lose it, or for some reason are not able to vote it, you may vote during the Early Voting period or on Election Day. When you vote, you will be provided a Provisional Ballot, and you must affirm that you requested a Mail-In Ballot and did not and will not vote it.

Additional Information