It's too late to mail your 2024 ballot in Colorado, here's how to make sure it counts
It's too late to mail in your 2024 Colorado ballot before Election Day, but there are ways to make your vote count. The deadline to drop off ballots is 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Voting can also be done in person at a Colorado polling location for early voting.
In Colorado, every voter receives a mail ballot at the mailing address provided on your voter registration file.
Voters are encouraged to drop off ballots at designated drop-off sites and drop-boxes in time to be received by the county clerk before the polls close. Postmarks do not count; ballots must be in the hands of the county clerk by 7 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.
Coloradans can register to vote online at the website GoVoteColorado.gov.
When are ballots due for the 2024 Colorado election?
The deadline to submit ballots is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5. From now through then, ballots need to be dropped off at an official ballot drop box location or a voting center. The Colorado Secretary of State's Office provides a search option for voters that will show the closest drop box locations to the voter's address.
How to track your Colorado ballot
To check on your ballot's status, sign up for BallotTrax, a system that will allow you to track your ballot from sent to accepted. Go to https://colorado.ballottrax.net to sign up.
The Colorado Secretary of State's Office says the envelope needs to be signed when the mail ballot is returned. Every time there is an election in the state, officials recommend that if you are not sure if it's too late to mail your ballot, drop it off in person at a drop box or voting center just to be sure. Drop box locations are open and under video surveillance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What if you decide to vote at a polling place?
If you prefer to vote at a polling center, there are a couple of options in Colorado. The first is to fill out your mail ballot at a polling place and drop it off there. The second is to cast your ballot in person at a voter service and polling center on a newly printed ballot. If you choose that option, the county clerk will not accept any ballot that was mailed to you and you might have submitted. The deadline to vote in person is 7 p.m. on Nov. 5. Those who are lined up to cast their ballot by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote in person. All voters who vote in person must provide identification, such as a Colorado driver's license or Colorado ID.
What if I get a notice that I need to cure my ballot?
The State of Colorado uses a program called TXT2Cure to help voters who get notices that there's a signature or ID issue with their 2024 ballots. Such notices about a ballot needing to be "cured" -- a.k.a additional information is needed before it can be counted -- are more common with less experienced and usually younger voters. The Colorado Secretary of State's Office says the program, which has been in place since 2020, is designed to "reduce the number of ballots rejected due to missing or discrepant signatures."
There are two ways to access the TXT2Cure system: If you have a mobile phone with a US phone number, text the word COLORADO to the number 28683. You will receive a single text message in reply with a secure 2vote.mobi web link. Tap the link to open the TXT2Cure website. If you do NOT have a mobile phone with a US phone number, open a web browser and go to https://txt2vote.2vote.mobi/colorado_votes
