Fact check: Colorado voters can still use ballot drop boxes, state officials confirm

Molly Stellino, USA TODAY
·4 min read

The claim: Colorado banned ballot drop boxes

As midterm election campaigns intensify across the country, posts about voting laws continue to proliferate on social media.

A July 11 Facebook post by the Trump’s Storm Group Facebook page claims Colorado banned ballot drop boxes. In two days, users shared the post more than 100 times.

The post reads, “Breaking news Colorado outlaws mail-in ballot boxes! Other states should follow! (sic)”

But Colorado Secretary of State spokesperson Annie Orloff told USA TODAY this claim is false.

“Colorado is not banning drop boxes nor have we discussed it or plan to,” she said. “Colorado will continue to use drop boxes for people who want to turn in their ballots that way.”

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook page that posted the claim for comment.

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Colorado officials confirm state did not ban ballot drop boxes

Ballot boxes grew in popularity during the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing voters to avoid crowds while depositing mail-in ballots. But they became a target for Trump supporters, who argued that they invite election fraud and cheating.

Both Texas and Ohio now limit drop boxes to one per county regardless of population size. And the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in July to ban drop boxes outright. Republicans in many other states have pursued similar limitations.

But Colorado has taken no such action. Orloff told USA TODAY the claim is false and the state has no plans to ban drop boxes.

In addition, multiple government web pages indicate drop boxes were used in Colorado’s June 28 primary election, the results of which are in the process of being finalized. The Colorado Springs Gazette similarly reported that Colorado residents could use drop boxes this year.

Fact check: How we know the 2020 election results were legitimate, not 'rigged' as Donald Trump claims

A change to ballot box status would require court or legislative action. There has been no court action, and the Colorado Generally Assembly has not been in session since May. That means state legislators  cannot vote on new bills until January 2023.

According to a 2020 press release from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, 75% of Colorado voters using mail-in ballots return them to a drop box, which the office describes as sturdy, metallic, weather-resistant and bolted to the ground.

DENVER, CO - JUNE 28: An election judge rolls up "I Voted" stickers during voting in the State Primaries on June 28, 2022 at the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building in Denver, Colorado. Many people running for office in the state support former President Donald Trump and his view of the 2020 election. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775832100 ORIG FILE ID: 1241597177

“Colorado law also requires that all drop boxes be kept under 24-hour video surveillance with adequate lighting,” the press release said. It also requires the state to provide at least one drop box for every 30,000 registered voters and locate the drop boxes “in a manner that provides the greatest convenience to electors,” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that Colorado banned ballot drop boxes. A spokesperson from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office confirmed this is false, and the boxes were used in the June 28 election. Additional government sources and media reports corroborate the same information.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Voters in Colorado can still use mail-in ballot drop boxes