Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Colorado
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Colorado, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Colorado Secretary of State or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Monday, October 26
Last day to register and still be mailed a ballot (8th day before, C.R.S. 1-2-201(3)(b)(III)). Registering after that is allowed, but you must vote in person at a Voter Service and Polling Center.
- Register by mail by
Monday, October 26
Same 8-day cutoff to receive a mail ballot; the calendar does not say whether postmark or receipt controls.
- Register in person by
Tuesday, November 3
Register in person at any Voter Service and Polling Center in your county through 7 p.m. on Election Day.
- Same-day registration
Yes
Voters can register and vote in person through Election Day; applications received 7 days or less before the election get no mailed ballot.
- Early voting
Monday, October 19 to Tuesday, November 3
The required minimum of Voter Service and Polling Centers open 15 days before the election (C.R.S. 1-5-102.9(2)).
- How early voting works
Colorado mails every active voter a ballot; in-person voting is at Voter Service and Polling Centers, where you can also register, get a replacement ballot, or drop off a ballot.
- Request a mail ballot by
No request needed. Voters registering after October 26 must vote in person.
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Received, not postmarked: ballots must be in the county clerk's hands by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day (C.R.S. 1-7.5-107(4)(b)(II)). Military and overseas ballots sent by 7 p.m. count if received by November 11.
- Election Day polling hours
7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters in line at 7 p.m. may vote.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
Every voter is mailed a ballot
County clerks mail a ballot to every active eligible voter between October 5 and October 9.
- Drop boxes
Yes
Drop boxes accept ballots from October 12 through 7 p.m. on Election Day.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Not counted — your ballot must arrive by the deadline
Domestic ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters have until 11:59 p.m. on November 11 to cure a signature problem or missing ID; military and overseas ballots count if received by November 11.
ID at the polls
- The rule
ID required (photo not needed)
All in-person voters must show ID; photo and non-photo forms are accepted (e.g. a utility bill or bank statement dated within 60 days). A voter without ID casts a provisional ballot and has until 11:59 p.m. on November 11 to supply ID.
- What to bring
Bring ID — most people use a Colorado driver's license or state ID, but a passport, student ID, military or tribal ID, Medicare/Medicaid card, or a recent utility bill, bank statement or paycheck also works. Any address shown must be in Colorado but need not match your registration. First-time mail voters may need to include a copy of ID.
When will we know results in Colorado?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
7 p.m. Mountain time — 9 p.m. Eastern
Mountain time.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Monday, October 5
Ballots go out from October 5; signature verification begins as they are returned.
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Monday, October 19
Counting of mail ballots may begin 15 days before the election; no results may be disclosed until after 7 p.m. on Election Day (C.R.S. 1-7.5-107.5).
- Counties finish their count by
Wednesday, November 25
Counties complete the canvass and submit the official abstract by the 22nd day after the election (C.R.S. 1-10-102(1)).
- Automatic recount
0.5% of the winner's vote
Mandatory recount when the margin between the top two is at or below one-half of one percent of the highest vote total (C.R.S. 1-10.5-101(1)(b)); must be completed by December 4.
- Requested recount
Any interested party may request a recount at their own expense between November 13 and November 25 (10 to 22 days after the election). The county sets the cost; the recount must finish by December 8.
C.R.S. 1-10.5-106(2).
- Runoff
No runoff — the candidate with the most votes wins
No general-election runoff; the canvass and any recount decide the result.
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
Not used for state or federal races in 2026.
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
55% for constitutional amendments (simple majority for amendments that only repeal constitutional text); simple majority for statutory measures
Colo. Const. art. XIX, § 2 (Amendment 71, 2016). The 2026 Blue Book lists the vote each measure needs.
- New governor takes office
Tuesday, January 12, 2027
Colo. Const. art. IV, § 1: the term commences on the second Tuesday of January after the election; the second Tuesday of January 2027 is January 12.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Colorado Secretary of State.