Student Life helps CU Denver students navigate elections through informative events, resource sharing, and promoting voter-friendly practices.
Register to vote, learn about upcoming elections, and discover new ways to engage in local government.
Q1. How do I get my ballot?
A1. Every voter in Colorado receives a mail ballot. Your mail ballot will be sent to the mailing address you provided when you registered to vote. To check what address you provided when registering to vote, please visit www.GoVoteColorado.gov.
If you wish to vote in-person, you may do so at a voter service and polling center. To find your local polling locations, please visit www.GoVoteColorado.gov.
Voters with a disability can now vote an electronic ballot independently and privately from their own home or other location. During the 22 days before and on election day you can access your electronic ballot or view your sample ballot at myballot.coloradosos.gov. Once on the website you will be guided through a step by step process to vote and return your ballot.
For more information about voting an electronic ballot visit the Accessible Voting page.
Q2. If I use a wheelchair and my polling place is inaccessible to me, what can I do?
A2. State and federal laws require that every polling place be accessible. If your polling place is not accessible, make your local election office aware of any issues.
Q3. I use a walker and have great difficulty walking long distances without sitting down to rest. My polling place is in a building that has designated accessible parking and an accessible entrance. However, the actual polling place within the building is located a significant distance from the entrance closest to the parking lot. What can I do?
A3. If you prefer to cast your ballot in person, rather than vote by mail, you might consider informing your county clerk about this problem. Please contact your local county election official. They may be able to relocate the polling location within the building. If this isn't feasible, they may be able to place a chair or bench along the route so that you can rest.
Q4. I have a reading disability and have trouble reading and understanding what is printed on my ballot. I would like to be able to vote privately and without help. What are my rights?
A4. The federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and Colorado laws require that voters with disabilities be able to cast their vote privately and without assistance. Each county has purchased accessible voting machines to be used in every polling location. These voting machines use assistive and adaptive technology to provide the opportunity for voters with a wide range of disabilities to vote privately and independently.
Q5. I have a mental disability. Are there any restrictions on my right to vote in Colorado?
A5. No. Although some states restrict those with mental disabilities from voting, no such restrictions exist under Colorado law.
Q6. I have a friend or a relative who is currently confined in a mental institution. Will they be given a ballot to vote?
A6. Section 1-2-103 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, specifies that individuals confined in a state institution with behavioral or mental health disorders "shall not lose the right to vote because of [their] confinement." Meaning, that as long as the confined individual is otherwise eligible to vote, they will be given a ballot. Colorado law further requires that state institutions for person with behavioral or mental health disorders help assist confined individuals register to vote and obtain a mail ballot.
Q7. I have a relative or a friend who I do not believe can understand or cast a ballot. What can I do?
A7. Regardless of how others view an individual's state of mind, if the individual has the ability to direct how they would like to vote and they are otherwise registered to vote, then they must be allowed to vote. What matters is the voter's intent: if the voter's intent can be determined, then the voter must be allowed to vote.
If the individual is unable to articulate their preference when voting, then others must not cast a vote for them. Please refer to Disability Law Colorado for assistance.
Q8. What can I do if I believe that my voting rights have been violated?
A8. You can file an election complaint directly with the Secretary of State's office at 1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290. Learn more about the election complaint process or fill out an election complaint form (PDF).
You may also file a complaint under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Learn more about the HAVA complaint process or fill out a HAVA complaint form (PDF).
You can also contact the United States Department of Justice to pursue your voting rights.
If you need assistance completing and filing your complaint, you can contact Disability Law Colorado. Disability Law Colorado is Colorado's designated protection and advocacy organization.
In the State of Colorado, voters can register in person, online, or by printing a voter registration form, filling it out, and mailing it to your local elections office. You can register any day leading up to the election and can register in person on election day. If you want to receive a mail-in ballot, your application must be received by the designated election official by the close of business on the 7th day before the election. Please keep in mind that if you would like to receive the ballot by mail, 7 days may not be a sufficient amount of time to receive, vote, and return your ballot.
The following offices are designated as voter registration locations in Denver:
Make sure to check your voter registration and that all of your information is correct, including your mailing address. If you have moved since the last time you voted or changed you name, you can update your information by filling out this form or by editing your registration.
Want to learn more to effectively participate in elections? Check out these three videos on the Student Life YouTube channel, created by the Auraria Voter Education Committee.
Voter Education 101: Evaluating Ballot Initiatives & Candidates
Voter Education 101: Campaign Finance Reform
Voter Education 101: Judicial Retention
WUE/WRGP Voter Resources
Can I vote in the state where I'm enrolled in school, if I'm a WUE or WRGP Student?
Students are often approached to register to vote on campus. Everyone should exercise their right to vote, but WUE and WRGP student attending school outside their home state should proceed with caution is asked to register to vote on their school campus.
Maintain residency tied to your home state and plan well in advance of an elections. Students are encouraged to register to vote by absentee mail ballot in their home state.
Learn more about voting as a WUE/WRGP student from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
Are you passionate about helping turn out the vote with college students or ways we can be a more voter-friendly campus? Email us at studentlife@ucdenver.edu with the subject line Voter Engagement, and we can help connect you with great opportunities to get more involved!