Colorado primary election voter registration guide: How to register and get your ballot

Rebecca Powell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·4 min read
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In 2024, Colorado will have three elections: a presidential primary, a statewide primary and the general election in November.

Read on to learn how to register to vote and how to use Colorado's mail-in voting system.

When are the elections in Colorado in 2024?

Tuesday, March 5: Presidential preference primary.

Tuesday, June 25: Statewide primary election to decide political parties' nominees for statewide and local offices.

Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024: This is a presidential election year, and all eight of Colorado's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be decided. In the Colorado legislature, voters will decide all state representative seats and some state Senate seats. Multiple local and statewide ballot measures are also expected.

When is the deadline to register to vote?

In Colorado, you can register to vote any time, including on the day of any election.

How to see if you're already registered to vote

Go to govotecolorado.gov and click on Find My Registration. Fill out the information. If you are registered, it'll tell you things like your party affiliation, the districts you vote in, where you can vote in person, and what's on the ballot, if ballots have been created already.

How do I register to vote?

First, while you can register to vote at age 16 in Colorado, you can't vote until you are 18. Also, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen.

  • Be a Colorado resident for at least 22 days before the election.

  • Not be serving a sentence of confinement or detention for a felony conviction. (Those on probation or parole are eligible to vote.)

To register online, go to govotecolorado.gov and click on "Yes, register online" under the Register to Vote header.

Or on the same website, you can download a form to fill out and send to your county clerk's office.

You can also register to vote anytime of the year when you obtain your Colorado driver's license at a DMV.

How do I get my ballot? And when will I get my ballot?

Once you're registered to vote, the ballot will automatically be mailed to the address you provided. Colorado laws allow them to be mailed about three weeks prior to Election Day.

If you registered within 8 days of the election, you'll have to go to a voter service and polling center to pick up your ballot. County clerks' websites can help you find one of these centers. Here's how to get information: www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Resources/CountyElectionOffices.html.

How do I return my ballot?

You can put the ballot in the mail as long as it has time to get to the county clerk's office by Election Day. If you're worried there isn't enough time for your ballot to be sent via mail, then return your ballot in person.

To return it in person, drop it off at a ballot collection box. You can find locations at www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/VIP.html.

Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Election Day.

Can I vote in person?

Many voter service and polling centers start operating eight days before the election, and that's where you can go to get a ballot, vote, register to vote and drop off ballots.

County clerks' websites can help you find one. Here's how to get information: www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Resources/CountyElectionOffices.html.

After I've voted, how can I know my ballot was received?

Go to ballottrax.coloradosos.gov/voter/ and sign up to get notifications.

In a primary, do I have to vote with the party I'm registered with?

Republicans will receive the Republican primary ballot, and Democrats will receive the Democrats' ballot. But unaffiliated voters receive both ballots and can vote in either primary.

However, unaffiliated voters can vote in only one party's primary, so they should return only one ballot. If they return both, neither ballot will be counted.

Resources for Larimer County voters

Where to register to vote in person in Larimer County:

  • Larimer County Elections: 200 W. Oak St. (fifth floor), Fort Collins

  • Citizens Information Center: 200 W. Oak St. (first floor), Fort Collins

  • Loveland Vehicle License: 200 Peridot Ave., Loveland

  • Estes Park Vehicle License: 1601 Brodie Ave., Estes Park

In addition, you can register to vote at a voter service and polling center.

This list contains Larimer County ballot drop box locations at the top and voter service and polling centers below that: larimer.gov/clerk/elections/voting-and-drop-locations#/map/ALL

Editor's note: Colorado has eight congressional districts. That number was incorrect in a previous version of this story.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Election 2024: Voter registration lookup for Colorado primary