Colorado Absentee Voter Guide

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

Mail-In Deadlines

General Election: November 4, 2008

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Colorado you must:

• be a citizen of the United States
• be a resident of Colorado 30 days prior to the election
• be 18 years old on or before Election Day
• not be confined as a prisoner or serving any part of a sentence under mandate

How to register to vote:

• Recommended: You can register to vote and request your absentee ballot at the same time using Colorado's voter registration form.  Mail your completed form to your County Clerk (the address is on the form).
• If you just need to register to vote, you should use our Voter Registration Widget.  Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form.

ID requirements for first-time voters:

If you are a registering for the first time in Colorado and you register to vote by mail, then you MUST include your Colorado drivers license number or Colorado nondriver ID number on your voter registration form.  If you don't have either of these numbers, you must include a copy of a valid form of identification with your voter registration from.  If you forget, you'll need to provide ID the first time you vote in person or by absentee ballot.  The following forms of identification are acceptable, as long as they show a Colorado address: A valid Colorado driver's license; A valid identification card issued by the Department of Revenue; A valid United States passport; A valid employee identification card with your photograph, provided the card was issued by a government employer; A valid pilot's license; A military ID card; A Medicaid or Medicare card; A certified copy of your birth certificate; A certified document of naturalization; A valid student ID card issued by a Colorado university or college; A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and Colorado address.

Voter registration verification:

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.

Absentee Voting

Who can vote by absentee ballot:

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

How to apply for your absentee ballot:

If you're not already registered, you can use the Colorado voter registration form to register and request your absentee ballot.  Mail the completed form to your County Clerk and Recorder.  Use the address labeled "Elections Division." 

If you're already registered, use the Colorado Mail-in Ballot Application Form to request your absentee ballot.  Mail the completed form to your County Clerk and Recorder. Use the address labeled "Elections Division." 

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 Tuesday, the seventh day proceeding Election Day. Mail-In Ballots may be obtained IN PERSON at the County Clerk’s Office until close of business on the Friday proceeding Election Day.

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.

ID requirements for absentee voters:

You do not need to provide ID if you've already voted in Colorado at least once.  If you are a first-time Colorado voter, and you registered by mail, then you were required to provide your Colorado drivers license number or nondriver ID card number on your voter registration form.  If you did not, then you were required to submit a copy of another valid form of ID.  If you failed to do so, you must submit a copy of your identification with your absentee ballot application.  The following forms of identification are acceptable, as long as they show 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

Permanent absentee voter status:

Colorado is one of only a handful of states that offers permanent absentee (i.e. mail-in ballot) status.  When requesting your mail-in ballot, you can ask to be put on the "permanent mail-in ballot list."  Colorado will then mail you your absentee ballot for each applicable election.  You can take yourself off this list at any time by using the Colorado Mail-In Ballot Form or by calling your County Clerk and Recorder.

Absenteee ballot instructions:

Fill out your ballot, sign it, and return it to your County Clerk and Recorder. Use the address labeled "Elections Division."  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.

Changing your mind and voting 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.

State Contact Information