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Voting FAQs
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View frequently asked questions about the voting process.
Who is eligible to vote?See Voter Registration for eligibility requirements.
I am new to Denver and would like to register to vote. Where can I register?The easiest way to register is by mail but you also may register in person at the Denver Elections Division, 3888 E. Mexico Ave., Denver. In addition to registering at the Elections Division, you may fill out a registration application form at any number of other agencies, including Denver Motor Vehicle offices and offices of the Denver Department of Human Services.
See more information and download a voter registration form in Voter Registration. Be sure to fill out the voter registration form completely and sign it before submitting it.
On Election Day, can I register and vote on that same day?
No. By law, you must be a resident in your Denver precinct 30 days prior to an election. You may register up to 29 days prior to an election as well. Any registrations submitted after that deadline will be treated as deferred until the end of Election Day.
There is, however, a provision for emergency registration under some narrow circumstances. If you use this provision on Election Day, you will be given a provisional ballot.
What's the deadline to register to vote in 2008?
For the August 12 Primary Election: July 14, at 5 p.m.
For the November 4 General Election: October 6, at 5 p.m.
I am a student going to school in Denver. Can I vote here?
Students who claim Denver residency may both register and vote in Denver.
Registering if Homeless or Convicted/Incarcerated
Can I vote if I am homeless?
In order to register to vote a homeless person must have a mailing address. This may include a shelter, a homeless service provider, or a private residence, but may not be a Post Office box or general delivery.
How do felony and misdemeanor convictions, incarceration, parole, and probation affect my voter status?Those convicted of misdemeanors do not lose their right to vote. Those convicted of felonies regain their right to vote once incarceration and any parole have been completed. See Voting and Convictions FAQ on the Colorado Secretary of State website. See also this voting eligibility brochure from the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition.
I can’t make it to my polling place to vote on Election Day. What are my options?
Do I have to prove I'm going to be absent on Election Day to get an absentee ballot?No. What has been traditionally called absentee voting is now referred to as voting by mail. Mail-in ballots are the most convenient way to vote. Voting by mail and early voting allow more convenience for voters.
If I voted by mail-in ballot in the past, do I still have to request a mail-in ballot this year in order to get one?
Yes. In the past, you had to request what was then called an "absentee" ballot every year. Beginning in July 2007, a new state law went into effect allowing voters to request to be put on a permanent mail-in ballot list. Because the 2007 elections in Denver were all mail ballot elections, voters did not have to request a mail ballot; they were sent automatically.
You may use this form to request a mail ballot for the 2008 elections only, or for all future elections. You may change that status again in the future, as you choose.
I would like to vote by mail on a regular basis. How often do I need to apply?Beginning in 2008, only once, if you choose the new permanent mail ballot option. Under a new state law, the application for a mail ballot gives you the opportunity to choose to vote by mail for the upcoming elections only, or to be put on the mail ballot list on a permanent basis. You may remove your name from the mail ballot list at any time in the future.
If I do make a request for and receive my ballot by mail can I change my mind and vote at the polls on Election Day?
If you choose to do this, you will be given a provisional ballot because you will be on record as having received a mail ballot.
It is Election Day and there is no time left to mail my ballot. May I drop it off at the closest polling place?
Mail ballots may be dropped off at any Denver polling place on Election Day, or they may be dropped off at the Denver Election Division, 3888 East Mexico Avenue, Denver. Election Day drop off location hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Place your ballot directly into the red ballot box, which will be available especially for mail-in ballots. See a list of Election Day polling places here, or look up your neighborhood polling place.
What if I ruin or lose my mail ballot. Can I still vote?
If you spoil you ballot or lose it, you may still vote. Contact the Denver Elections Division at 720-913-VOTE (8683), explain that you need a new ballot and one will be issued to you. The new statewide voter registration database allows the replacement of lost or spoiled ballots in order to not disenfranchise any voter.
Couldn't this process allow someone to vote twice?
Upon the issuance of a replacement ballot, the system will lock out the original ballot and it will be rejected if it is voted and returned.
What is early voting?
Early voting gives voters the opportunity to vote prior to Election Day. The Denver Elections Division offers early voting to make voting easy and convenient for all Denver residents, including those who may have difficulty getting to the polls on Election Day.
How can I vote early?
Early Voting will be available for two weeks prior to the General Election: Monday through Saturday, October 20 - 25, and again Monday through Friday, October 27-31. Note that there will be no Saturday voting during the second week of early voting.
Early voting hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Denver Elections Division, 3888 E. Mexico Ave., will offer extended hours during early voting, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting will be offered at 13 Denver early voting locations. Voters may choose the early voting location that is most convenient.
What are Election Day voting hours?
The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. If you are standing in line at 7 p.m. you will be allowed to vote.
It seems like my polling place changes from one election to the next. Why?
Polling places may change for any number of reasons, including disabled accessibility considerations, safety and security reasons, or a decision by a property owner to not participate any longer. Schools, which have been long-time participants as polling locations, are more often choosing to decline because of increasing security considerations for students.
Can I get time off from my job for voting?
Yes. By law, voters must be given time to vote without loss of pay if they do not have sufficient time to vote outside of regular working hours.
Is alcohol permitted to be sold and/or served on Election Day?
Yes. There is no Election Day restriction upon the sale of alcoholic beverages by those lawfully licensed to do so. However, no alcohol is permitted at polling places.
Electioneering and Polling Places
I am working for a campaign and wish to promote my cause on Election Day. Am I permitted to do this at polling places?
Electioneering is not permitted within one hundred feet of any polling place. This includes handouts, yard signs, banners, and any other item that names or promotes your cause. Any person in violation of this provision commits a misdemeanor.
Campaign workers should understand that polling places are hosted at a wide variety of public and private properties. Electioneering beyond the 100-foot mark at any given polling place is subject to the rules of the particular property owner. Property rights should be respected.
I am a voter and wish to show my support for my candidate by wearing a campaign button / tee shirt / hat when I go to vote on Election Day. Is this allowed?
Electioneering is not permitted within one hundred feet of any polling place. This includes hats, tee shirts, buttons or any other item that promotes a candidate or cause on the ballot. Any person in violation of this provision commits a misdemeanor.
Voters will be allowed into the polling place only after removing campaign hats or buttons, or changing a campaign tee shirt or covering it with a jacket or sweater.
Primary Election and Caucuses
Why does Colorado have caucuses in the spring AND a Primary Election in the summer?
The major parties hold presidential caucuses that decide on delegates to the party's national convention. Only the participants of the caucuses have a say in the presidential nomination process. The Primary Election held in August allows party-affiliated voters to vote for their party's state and federal office nominees, but does not include the presidential race on the ballots.
For more information: www.denverdems.org, or www.denvergop.org or call your county party (Democratic Party: 303-830-8242; Republican Party: 303-782-9555).
I would like to attend my party's presidential caucus. How do I find the meeting places?
Caucuses are neighborhood meetings held by the two major political parties every four years prior to the Presidential Election. People in the same political party begin their party’s nominating and delegate selection process at neighborhood caucus. Caucuses are not connected or associated with the Denver Elections Division.
For information about caucuses go to www.denverdems.org, or www.denvergop.org or call your county party (Democratic Party: 303-830-8242; Republican Party: 303-782-9555).
If I am not affiliated with a party but I want to vote in its Primary Election, can I change my registration on Election Day in order to vote in that primary?
It depends. If you are registered as unaffiliated, you may change your affiliation to Democrat or Republican in order to vote in that party's primary. If you are affiliated with one party, you may not change your affiliation on Election Day in order to vote in the other party's primary.
I am not affiliated with a party but I want to vote in its Primary Election. However, I've already requested a mail-in ballot. Can I still change my registration on Election Day in order to vote in a party primary?
Yes. An unaffiliated voter who has already requested a mail-in ballot may affiliate with a particular party during early voting or on Primary Election Day. You will have to bring your unvoted ballot to the Denver Elections Division, 3888 E. Mexico Ave., to turn it in. You will then fill out a declaration of party affiliation and be issued a new ballot. If you attempt to turn in your unvoted ballot for this purpose at an early voting site or at a precinct polling place, you will be issued a provisional ballot only.
I am disabled and my regular polling place was not accessible in the past. I would still like to vote, so what can I do?
Federal law requires that every voting site be accessible to all voters. In choosing and preparing polling places, the Denver Elections Division makes every effort to ensure that this is the case, including the installation of temporary ramps and the designation of ample parking places for people with disabilities. Despite these preparations, if you should find a location inaccessible to you, please call 311 for immediate assistance.
An additional choice that is open to everyone is to apply for a mail ballot. This is a convenient way to vote.
I don't drive and my polling place is a little too far for me to walk. Is it possible to get a ride to my polling place?Usually, yes. Campaign staff members frequently provide volunteer transportation for voters to and from the polls on Election Day. Volunteers from the Democratic and Republican parties typically provide this service to voters as well. Call ahead to make arrangements with your party headquarters. Denver Democratic Party, 303-830-8242
Denver Republican Party, 303-782-9555
What is "provisional" voting?
The Federal Help America Vote Act mandates that no voter be turned away without the ability to cast a ballot. Whenever a voter’s registration, identification or residency is in question, the voter is given a ballot nevertheless. This voted and sealed ballot is then marked "provisional" and segregated from other ballots. After Election Day, the voter registrations of provisional ballots are researched. If a registration is deemed valid, the ballot is counted. If deemed invalid, the ballot is not counted.
How can I find out whether my provisional ballot was counted?Election officials have 14 days after the General Election to research the validity of all provisional ballots and submit that information to the Colorado Secretary of State. After the 14 days have passed, information on whether your provisional ballot was deemed valid and counted may be found using a look-up feature on the Colorado Secretary of State website.
Is there somewhere I can get election results after 7 p.m. on Election Day?
Results will be posted and updated on this website as they become available, beginning at 7 p.m. on election night.
How long will it take to count Denver's ballots on Election Night?
While the division is not predicting when the ballot count will be finished on election night, the plain fact is that it takes longer to count paper ballots than it takes to count electronic ones. With many jurisdictions across the country planning to use paper ballots this November, ballot counts will take longer in many jurisdictions.
The ballots must be gathered from 186 Denver locations after the close of the polls at 7 p.m. and physically transported to a central counting facility. The handling, transport and check in of ballots involves a number of legally prescribed security procedures. Then each ballot box in turn is taken to a high-speed ballot counter and its contents are scanned and counted.
Denver's new ballot counting system worked as planned during the August 12, 2008 Primary Election, achieving significant efficiencies, and a significant improvement over the length of the 2007 ballot count, which took 40 plus hours to complete. The August ballot count was largely finished by midnight. The anticipated record voter turnout in November, along with the potential record length of the ballot, will necessarily have some effect on the amount of time the November ballot count will take.
If I don't vote in any one election, will my registration be cancelled?
No. If you miss voting in any General Election, we will mail you a card stating that you did not vote in that election. By signing and returning the card, you are verifying that you have not changed your address or name and your voter registration will be returned to "active" status.
The Elections Division has informed me that my current voter registration is inactive. Why?
You missed voting in the last General Election and did not return the card the Elections Division subsequently sent to you, or the card was returned to the division as "undeliverable" by the Post Office.
How can I reactivate my voter registration status?
If you have moved, notify the Elections Division that your current registration information has changed and you still wish to remain registered. By updating your registration information or by voting in the next election, your status will become "active" again.
How can I find out my status?Check your registration status on the Colorado Secretary of State website. If you are classified as "inactive," the result returned will state that your voter registration information may not be current, and that you should contact your county voter registration office to re-activate your voter status.
Cancellation of a Voter Registration
Can voter registrations be removed from record?
The Election Division has only limited authority under state and federal laws to remove registered voters' names from its records. There are specific, restricted situations in which the division is authorized to delete names. Detailed information about registration cancellations is available here.
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Voter Links
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Vote by Mail
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Voter Registration / Mail Ballot Lookup
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Through the link above, you may also find out:
- when your mail-in ballot was received
- If your provisional ballot was counted.
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