Everything you want to know about November election voting
EDITOR’S NOTES: This is one of our “one stop shopping” articles where we have searched the internet for information on various official web pages, and put them all in one place, to save you time, and for convenience. === This article will be repeated for all editions, from October 3 to November 5, Election Day – located on our Front Page. === Every voter in Colorado receives a mail ballot. The ballot will be sent to the mailing address you provided for your voter registration file.
===CALENDAR===
October 11th – county clerks send out mail-in ballots.
October 21st – first day mail in ballot boxes can be opened, and ballots can be counted.
November 5, 7p.m. – final voting
November 7, County clerk deadline to send missing signature, signature verification, and missing ID notification
November 13, last day for overseas/military voting received by clerks
November 15, County Clerks must finish tabulating all in-person and accepted mail ballots cast by registered voters
LINKS TO ARTICLES published in the Lyons Recorder this month:
6 letters from officials asking for a “Yes” Vote on #127 (to protect Colorado lions)
Lyons SVVSD superintendent explaining the Bond (no taxes), for a “Yes” Vote
Lyons resident explaining why you should vote “yes” on the Lyons Ballot 2B
- Register, Update or check your Voting Record
- Replacement Ballot: Boulder County
- Voting Locations – Boxes and Centers
- Mailing Ballots
- Travelling?
- Blue Book – help in making informed decisions
- Lyons “District” representatives
- View Your Ballot
- Voting for Judges
- How to track your ballot
- Ballot rejection
- Elections equipment testing
Register, Update or check your Voting Record
VOTER REGISTRATION.
3 Ways to Register to Vote or Update your Registration. = online = Email, Mail, or Fax = In Person.
Be sure to check the registration requirements on this page prior to registering. A registered voter in Colorado is considered a resident of Colorado for income tax and motor vehicle registration and operation. Qualified residents may register to vote up to and including Election Day. However, in order to receive a ballot in the mail, the Boulder County Clerk & Recorder’s office must receive your voter registration no later than 8 days before the election. If you register after this time, you must visit a Vote Center in order to vote.
Attention CU students living on campus – please see our College Students page for instructions about how to enter your address so your mail ballots can find you.
UPDATE Your Record NOW. If you have recently moved, now is the time to get registered or check your voter registration information. === While Colorado does have same-day voter registration, you can save time (waiting in line) by going online now. Also, if you would like to get your ballot in the mail, get registered now to avoid delays.
Include an email address with your registration to be automatically enrolled into BallotTrax to get notifications about the status of your ballot. Visit BoulderCountyVotes.gov for more information. === or go to Secretary of State’s website
Replacement Ballot: Boulder County
Every voter receives a mail ballot. The ballot will be sent to the mailing address you provided for your voter registration file.
For Ballot Services: For Ballot replacement or Ballot Services
Ballot-to-Go is a service where you may call ahead to have a ballot brought to your car outside a Vote Center. This service can be used for first time ballot requests (just registered and want to pick-up ballot) or for any voter who needs a replacement ballot (if you have lost, damaged, or never received your ballot in the mail.
You may request a replacement ballot be mailed to you by calling our office at 303-413-7740 no later than October 28 (sooner is better!) To get a ballot after the mailing deadline, you may request a Ballot-to-Go, or visit a Vote Center to register/vote in-person.
LARIMER COUNTY
Starting October 28th, Larimer County people can go to the Voting Center in Estes Park: Estes Park Community Building (Rec Center) lower level. Weekdays and Saturday are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. November 5th is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Larimer County Elections Office is in Ft. Collins:
200 W Oak St, Suite 5100
HOURS: 8:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday (except holidays)
EMAIL: elections@larimer.gov == PHONE: (970) 498-7820
Voting Locations – Boxes and Centers
NOTE: A person in Colorado can pick up and drop off up to ten ballots of friends, relatives and neighbors. Voters are advised to be certain that they know the person before allowing them to take your ballot. (Remember, all Drop Off Boxes have video surveillance.)
Boulder County BALLOT DROP OFF BOX: LIST of locations
LYONS residents: if you wish to go to a VOTING CENTER, it will take place at the LYONS
Library (NOT Town Hall) ==the Library will serve as a Vote Center with official
services available on Monday, November 4th is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m; and
Tuesday, November 5th is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. We will keep you informed if this
changes.
(Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s Office is closed Fridays, and Monday, Oct 14 for Indigenous Peoples’ Day)
Larimer County (our readership in Pinewood Springs, Estes Park, and far reaches of Lyons): Starting October 28th: Estes Park Community Building (Rec Center) lower level. This is for voting in Larimer County. Weekdays and Saturday are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. November 5th is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Larimer County Elections Office is in Ft. Collins: 200 W Oak St, Suite 5100HOURS: 8:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday (except holidays)EMAIL: elections@larimer.gov == PHONE: (970) 498-7820
VOTING Center Locations in Boulder County: LIST // and what you will need, and services provided
NOTE: Some are open Saturday Nov 2 only: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sundays: All Closed
Election Day, Tuesday, November 5: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Vote Centers (formally known as Voter Service and Polling Centers) will open for the 2024 General Election starting on Monday, October 21. == Visit a Vote Center to:
Vote in person
Vote in person in Spanish
Request a replacement ballot
Drop off your ballot
Register to vote or update your registration information
Vote using equipment and facilities for persons with disabilities
Fix a signature discrepancy or missing signature issue
Mailing Ballots
The state recommends mailing your General Election ballot by Monday, October 28. After Oct 28, please use a 24-hour drop box instead.
Postage: You will need one first class stamp if your ballot is one page long. If your ballot has two pages, you will need two first class stamps.
All 2024 General Election ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day – Tuesday, November 5. — Postmarks do not count.
Travelling?
Traveling in October / November? Here are your options to get your ballot:
Pick up a mail ballot early:
Boulder County: You can pick up a mail ballot anytime Monday to Thursday* from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. beginning September 23 until Vote Centers open October 21 for full voting services. Simply come in to our main office at 1750 33rd Street in Boulder
Larimer County office is located in Ft. Collins
200 W Oak St, Suite 5100, Fort Collins, CO 80521 / PO Box 1547, Fort Collins CO HOURS: 8:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday (except holidays)
Alternative mailing address: Local/stateside ballots begin mailing October 11 and ballots cannot be forwarded by the postal service. However, Boulder County Elections can mail your ballot to an alternative address. Simply update your voter registration with an alternative mailing address. When you access your voter registration, the first address is your residential address (your legal residence). If you don’t want your ballot mailed there, simply add a mailing address below this option. Just remember to set a personal calendar reminder to update it after the election.
Traveling internationally? We recommend you pick up your ballot and vote early. But if you cannot and would like to receive your ballot while traveling internationally, you can vote as an overseas voter. When updating your registration, you’ll see a question asking if you are a uniformed service member or overseas civilian voter. Select the option labeled “An overseas voter who is eligible to vote in Colorado” and then follow the additional prompts about how you would like to receive your ballot. Learn more about this option on our Military and Overseas Voters page. Ballots begin mailing to overseas/military voters on September 20 and continue to be mailed as registration changes are received.
Blue Book – help in making informed decisions
The BLUE BOOK was sent out by the State of Colorado in September — This booklet provides information on the 14 statewide measures that will appear on your ballot, as well as on judges who will be considered for retention in your area. You will receive information about local government ballot measures separately. == You can find the entire book online at: LINK
Your local League of Women Voters puts out a booklet that gives the pros and cons of the ballot issues, and recommendations based on facts. Note, this is not a “for women only” group. The League is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. Click HERE for the COLORADO web site, to find out more information, including your local county group, upcoming meetings, watching for misinformation, deadlines, abortion issues, and more.
Lyons “District” representatives
Lyons is in State District:
SD15 Senator Janice Marchman – term ends on January 12, 2027
HD 49, Legislator Judy Amabile – term ends on January 8, 2025.
US House: Joe Neguse, District 2, up for re-election – 6 names will be on the ballot
US Senator: John Hickenlooper: term ends on January 3, 2027.
US Senator: Michael Bennet: term ends 2029
Boulder County Commissioner: In 2024, Claire Levy, up for re-election, District 1
Note: County commissioners are elected at-large, however, they must reside in the commissioner district.
Coroner (due to off-cycle vacancy)
Here is a LIST of all the candidates running for election. (note, there are 14 running for US president) — But this will be apparent when you get your Ballot in the mail. — This page gives you their web page.
View Your Ballot
Click here and enter your personal information: https://myballot.coloradosos.gov/app/sb/vr
Don’t put off reading your ballot — there are about 7 Amendments , and 7 Propositions, and additional Ballot issues! that you will want to read up on before you check the boxes! Including one for Lyons residents. Constitutional Amendments – require 55% to pass. Propositions Impacting Statutes – requiring 50% to pass.
The 2024 ballot will be lengthy — 2 pages. This includes our national, state, and county candidates, plus judicial positions, 14 state-wide ballot issues, and 1 Larimer County ballot issue.
Voting for Judges
Quality Advice Available:
There is a web site where you can check on the judges! Don’t vote just because you like how their name sounds (“O’Malley” John Henry). Colorado has commissions on judicial performance that evaluate judges and justices. There is one commission for each of the 22 judicial districts, and one state commission. The district commissions evaluate judges in their district, while the state commission evaluates Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges. Judicial Performance: Home https://judicialperformance.colorado.gov You click on YOUR county, and then the court name. You can either just read and use the “meets performance standards” -or- click on that and read the entire description of who he/she is, both background and court room performance, and how the commission came upon that decision.
How to track your ballot
Answers to all your questions can be found on the Secretary of State web site: BALLOT TRAX.
BallotTrax provides updates to voters on the status of their mail ballot by tracking their envelope (not their ballot).
Sign up here: BallotTrax.coloradosos.gov. Simply enter your first name, last name, date of birth, and residential zip code to access the voter portal or to sign-up. You can close this account at any time. See the TRAX link above for any questions.
Ballot rejection
Why are Ballots rejected: You received a ballot rejection letter from your county election office, or a ballot rejection message from BallotTrax, because two election judges of different political party affiliations agreed that the signature on your reply envelope was either missing or did not match your signature on file with the County Clerk and Recorder, or you were required to and did not enclose a photocopy of an acceptable form of ID with your voted ballot.
Colorado law requires county clerks to mail you a letter explaining why your ballot was rejected, and the steps you need to take to resolve or “cure” the problems so that your ballot will be counted. The information you need to provide is detailed in the letter from your county election office. The deadline for you to submit the necessary information is 11:59 pm MT on the eighth day after Election Day. If the eighth day falls on a state or federal holiday, the deadline moves to 11:59 MT on the following day.
You do not have to wait for the letter == You may submit the required information now, using your mobile phone and Colorado’s TXT2Cure system. == Visit our www.GoVoteColorado.gov website and look for the heading Track or cure your ballot then click on the Cure my ballot with Txt2Cure for instructions on how to use TXT2Cure.
Elections equipment testing
The Boulder County Elections Division will conduct a logic and accuracy test beginning on Tuesday, October 8 on ballots and equipment to be used for the 2024 General Election. ==The test ensures voting system equipment properly tabulates votes. Each type of ballot and all ballot styles will be tested to verify they are properly printed and read by the scanning equipment. The test will also confirm that scanning equipment settings are properly calibrated for the ballots. Open to the public* but RSVP is requested due to space limitations.
When: Tuesday, October 8, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. If needed, testing will continue Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m. Anticipated Test Board review of results, sign-off, resetting, and resealing of equipment to occur upon completion of testing.
Where: Ballot Processing Center, Boulder County Clerk & Recorder’s Office, 1750 33rd Street in Boulder.
RSVP to Vote@BoulderCounty.gov or by calling 303-413-7740 by 5 p.m. on Monday, October 7.