By Sandra Fish, Colorado News Collaborative
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, but registered voters in Colorado will receive mail-in ballots after October 9. With national concern about the veracity of mail-in ballots, Colorado has become a focal point. Colorado began statewide vote by mail in 2013, although some counties used it before that.
Voters and potential voters will have questions about how voter registration works, how mail-in ballots work, how ballots are counted and more. The Colorado News Collaborative and its members want to answer those questions.
Here are this week’s questions:
Do I have to request a ballot from my county clerk or the secretary of state?
Not if you’re an active registered voter. County clerks automatically will begin mailing ballots to active registered voters on October 9. A voter is considered active if they’ve voted in the most recent general elections or updated their address or other registration information. Find out if you’re registered at www.govotecolorado.gov. Get Archuleta County information at http://www.archuletacounty.org/192/Elections.
What if I’ve moved?
This link will allow you to change your address.
What if my name changed?
You’ll need to download and fill out the form at this web page and take it to your county clerk or mail it to the Colorado Secretary of State.
What’s the difference between an “active” voter and an “inactive” voter?
As mentioned above, a voter is considered active if they’ve voted in the most recent elections or updated their address or other registration information. A voter is considered inactive if their county clerk receives returned mail to them marked “undeliverable”. Under federal law, clerks must wait two general election cycles before removing inactive voters from the database. Again, you may check at www.govotecolorado.gov to see if your registration is active and update your information if it isn’t.
How long do I have to register?
You must register by October 26 to get a ballot in the mail (but you’ll need to return it to a vote center or drop box because of the uncertainty of mail delivery). But you can register and vote in person at vote centers through 7pm on Election Day, November 3. In Pagosa Springs, the vote center is located in teh basement of the downtown County Courthouse, around the rear of the building.
When will I get my ballot in the mail?
The first day ballots may be mailed is October 9, a Friday, and they must be sent out by October 16 at the latest.
How do I know if my ballot was received?
Voters statewide may sign up to track your ballot online at colorado.ballottrax.net/voter. You’ll get notifications via email, text message or phone (you may choose) when your ballot is mailed, and when it has been received and accepted.
What if I don’t get my ballot?
Check to see if your ballot has been mailed at this web page. If it has been mailed and you haven’t received it, contact your county clerk’s office and ask. Not every county will send ballots out the first day possible. But they need to hear from you if you don’t receive yours.
How do I return my ballot?
Ballots must arrive at a vote center or county clerk’s office by 7pm on November 3. You may mail your ballot back, if there’s enough time for it to arrive. You may also deliver it to drop boxes at your county clerk’s office or other locations in your county.
Beginning October 19, you may deliver it to voter centers staffed by election workers. About 75 percent of Colorado voters return their mail ballots to drop boxes, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/pCp9yVeKZekLZnPy6.