Voter Registration FAQs

Q1. How do I register to vote or update my voter registration?

A1. You may register online at www.GoVoteColorado.gov , if you have a valid Colorado driver's license or state issued ID card from the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Printable voter registration forms are also available on the Secretary of State's website, the county clerk and recorder's office, and any federal post office that provides voter registration applications. You may then mail, fax, or scan and email your complete and signed form to your county clerk and recorder's office.

You can also register to vote in-person. Registering to vote in-person may be done at a physical office, which includes:

A Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle office when you apply for a driver's license, or when updating your driver's license information;

Offices that provide public assistance, including offices that provide state funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to person with disabilities;

Recruitment offices of the armed forces of the United States;

Any federal, state, or local government office or any nongovernment office that chooses to provide voter registration service or applications; or

A voter service and polling center.

You can also register to vote in-person through a voter registration drive.

If you are already a registered voter in Colorado you may confirm your registration by visiting www.GoVoteColorado.gov . Once your registration is verified, you may update your address and party affiliation as well.

If your voter registration is inactive, you may change your inactive status by submitting a signed request, an online voter registration application, or making an in-person request.

Q2. Will I still be registered to vote if I did not vote in the last election?

A2. Yes. If you did not vote in the last election, you are still registered and eligible to vote. You will still receive a mail ballot unless your county clerk has received information that you have moved out of state. Visit www.GoVoteColorado.gov to make sure your voter registration information is current.

Q3. What is the voter registration deadline?

A3. Voters may register through Election Day. Please note that how you register to vote will impact how you receive your ballot.

To receive your ballot by mail:

Register to vote or update your voter registration online at www.GoVoteColorado.gov through the 8th day before Election Day;

through the 8th day before Election Day; Submit an application through the mail, at a voter registration agency, or at a local driver's license examination facility through the 8th day before Election Day; or

Submit an application through a voter registration drive no later than 22 days before Election Day.

If you miss the above deadlines, you may register in-person at a voter service and polling center in your county through Election Day.

Q4. What is a "residence" for purposes of voter registration and voting?

A4. The term "residence" generally means the principal or primary home or place in which a person lives. A "residence" is a permanent building or part of a building and may include a house, apartment, condominium, room in a house, or mobile home.

Homeless voters can register to vote. A homeless voter may use any address within a specific county that he/she regularly returns to and has the intent to remain. This may include a homeless shelter, a homeless service provider, a park, a campground, a vacant lot, a business address, or any other physical location.

You must have a residence to register to vote. Once you establish a residence, it exists until you establish a new residence.

Note: you may not have more than one residence.

Q5. Can I vote in Colorado if I have moved away or moved to Colorado because I am in the military or a student?

A5. For the purposes of registering to vote and voting, no person may gain residence because of their presence in Colorado. Likewise, persons may not lose residence because of their absence while in military service or while a student at any institution of higher education.

Q6. I am planning to attend a college or university out-of-state, should I wait to register there? May I remain registered in Colorado?

A6. This is the student's decision. College students that are residents of Colorado may keep their registration in their hometown and vote by mail.

Alternatively, if the student attends a college or university out-of-state and wishes to register to vote there, they should check that state's voter registration rules. Should the student change their voter registration to a different state, they are no longer eligible to vote in Colorado.

Q7. If a person no longer lives in Colorado, is it legal for that person to use my address for their voter registration?

A7. Maybe. Sometimes, the old address is the only address that a person can use for voter registration purposes. For example, a member of the armed services stationed out-of-state or a student attending school abroad who formerly resided at your address may use that address for voter registration and voting purposes.

Q8. What is Automatic Voter Registration?

A8. When an individual interacts with certain agencies, such as the DMV, they usually will provide information such as name, address, date of birth, etc. This information is then used to register that individual to vote in Colorado.

The elector’s county clerk will verify if they have a complete record to register the individual to vote. If the elector’s record is complete, the county clerk will send a notice to the elector that they are registered to vote. The elector can return the notice to either decline to be registered or to affiliate with a party. If the elector does not decline to be registered within 20 days after the notice is mailed and the form is not returned as undeliverable, the elector is then registered to vote.